James Anderson is set to make his return for Lancashire on Friday, almost a year after saying goodbye in a Test match at Lord’s. With 704 wickets, he’s the leading fast bowler in Test history for England, but he hasn’t played since that emotional game against the West Indies last June. Since then, the 42-year-old has worked as a bowling consultant for the England team but has also maintained that he still has more to give on the field.
Earlier this year, Anderson signed a new one-year contract with Lancashire but missed the first five County Championship matches due to a calf injury. Now, he’s back in the squad for their game against Derbyshire at Old Trafford. Lancashire is hoping that Anderson’s comeback will help turn things around since they’ve had a rough start to the season, sitting at the bottom of the Second Division without a win, which led to Keaton Jennings stepping down as captain this week.
Also, Brydon Carse is expected to be back in action for Durham soon, as he returns for their home game against Nottinghamshire, who are leading the First Division. Carse played well on England’s recent tours of Pakistan and New Zealand but has been out due to toe injuries. England will be watching closely, hoping he can get back to full strength ahead of their five-Test series with India starting on June 20.
Another player to watch is James Rew, the 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman. He’s been released to play for Somerset against Sussex, even though he’s still part of England’s squad for next week’s Test against Zimbabwe. Rew was called up to cover for an injured player and will make his debut only if there’s another injury among the batsmen.