Key Points

James Anderson, the legendary England pace bowler, is turning heads in the T20 Blast with his remarkable bowling performance. At 42, he's proving age is just a number by taking wickets and maintaining an impressive economy rate. His captain, Keaton Jennings, is full of praise for Anderson's ability to read batters and adapt to the fast-paced format. Despite Lancashire's loss, Anderson's strategic bowling continues to showcase his exceptional cricketing intelligence.

Key Points: James Anderson Defies Age in T20 Blast Bowling Masterclass

  • 42-year-old Anderson takes 7 wickets with exceptional economy rate
  • Adapting brilliantly to T20 format after Test retirement
  • Bowling strategically during power play against traditional norms
3 min read

Lancashire captain speaks on why James Anderson goes against the grain in T20 cricket

Lancashire captain Keaton Jennings praises James Anderson's remarkable T20 comeback, taking wickets and challenging conventional cricket wisdom

"What he (Anderson) is doing, he is ridiculous. - Keaton Jennings"

Manchester, June 9

Lancashire captain Keaton Jennings hailed England pace legend James Anderson for adapting to the pace of T20 cricket really well on his return to the format after 11 years during the ongoing T20 Blast competition.

Anderson continued his fine run in the T20 Blast, picking up 3/31 in four overs at an economy of 7.75 against Northamptonshire on Sunday.

Anderson, who retired from Tests last year and had been a Test specialist for around a decade, picked up the scalps of Ricardo Vasconcelos (32), South Africa international Matthew Breetzke (9) and ex-England batter Ravi Bopara (28) as Northamptonshire put 180/6 in their 20 overs, with Liam Livingstone also picking up two scalps.

Anderson, 42, has taken seven wickets so far in the T20 Blast at an average of 10.14 and an economy rate of just 6/45. His best figures are 3/17, which also happen to be his best T20 figures.

While Lancashire lost by 24 runs, restricted to 156/9 in 20 overs despite scores from Michael Jones (32) and Ashton Turner (23), due to some fine bowling from George Scrimshaw (4/19 in four overs), Jennings was full of praise for the ageless English pace wonder, as quoted by Wisden

"What he (Anderson) is doing, he is ridiculous. He's bowling three overs in the power play, and that kind of goes against the grain. Most guys have a maximum of two generally. You do not want somebody to line you up. He is reading batters," Jennings said after the loss.

"He (Anderson) has somehow moved with the times of T20 cricket without playing a game. I suppose that shows the level of care he's taken in his own cricket, in his own preparation."

"Going nice and quick, controlling areas, watching batters, following them, going wider when it is needed. The clarity of thought, when he does sort of mis-execute, has not - unsurprisingly - rattled him. He is straight back to what he needs to execute in the next ball," Jennings continued.

On a concluding note, Jennings said it is silly "not to pick his brain and pick his wealth of expertise" and that Anderson's presence benefits the dressing room.

"As captain, you fight yourself a little bit. But also, I think you have got to watch the sort of flow of the game. And if he looks hard to hit, you keep him on. Jimmy has executed brilliantly well. Hopefully it long continues," he concluded.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

Here are 5 diverse Indian perspective comments on the James Anderson T20 cricket article:
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Rahul K.
Anderson proving age is just a number! 🇮🇳 Indian bowlers should take notes - especially about adapting skills across formats. Bumrah could learn a thing or two about longevity from this legend. Hope to see him in IPL next season!
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Priya M.
Amazing how he's dominating T20 after being a Test specialist for so long! But honestly, at 42, shouldn't England be focusing on younger talent? We Indians know the pain of relying too much on aging stars (looking at you, Dhoni era 😅)
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Arjun S.
Swing bowling in T20 powerplay? Anderson is showing why traditional skills still matter in this slam-bang format. Reminds me of how Bhuvneshwar Kumar used to trouble batters early on. Hope Indian coaches are watching!
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Sanjana T.
As someone who grew up watching Anderson torment Indian batsmen, this is incredible to see! But let's be real - English domestic cricket isn't the same pressure as IPL. Wonder how he'd fare against our power hitters like Rohit or SKY 🤔
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Vikram J.
Respect for Anderson's dedication, but this feels like nostalgia more than future planning. England should blood young pacers instead. We made this mistake after 2011 WC - kept playing seniors too long. Youth is T20's oxygen! #JustSaying

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