Top 3 performances of James Anderson at Lord’s

James Anderson is one of the greatest pacers of all time. The right-arm pacer debuted in 2002 and had a great career that lasted till 2024. For a seamer to have a career of over 22 years is a massive feat. Despite not having a great start to his career, the experienced bowler came of age and improved well with every passing year. As he got older, Jimmy got better in his ability to deliver.

At the home of cricket, Anderson delivered some of his most memorable spells. Not only were they great, but became iconic due to the context of the match. While England won a few, they lost a lot of such matches. However, Andy’s good performance remained constant irrespective of the format. It’s time to look at the best performance of Anderson at Lord’s in each format of the game. 

1. 3/23 vs Netherlands, 2009 (T20Is)

It was the T20 World Cup game between England and the Netherlands in 2009. On a surface that was good for both batting and bowling, England batted first and scored 162/5 in their 20 overs. It wasn’t going to be an easy chase for the Dutch. However, they were determined to win. Anderson stood like a wall between the Netherlands and won. 

The star bowler got the early wicket of Alexei Kervezee. In his last spell, Anderson was economical and got the wicket of Peter Borren who was looking good. He additionally got the wicket of Daan Van Bunge and got England closer to a win. While the home side lost the match by 4 wickets and scripted history, Anderson claimed 3/23 in his spell of 4 overs. 

2. 3/31 vs New Zealand 2013 (ODIs)

It was the first ODI of the series between England and New Zealand. On a tricky wicket to bat on, England batted first and scored 227/9 in their 50 overs. The home side needed an inspirational spell to be in the game. Anderson tried his best with a brilliant spell at the top. With the new ball, he got the wickets of both Luke Ronchi and Kane Williamson.

While the 42-year-old dismissed Ronchi for 0(3), he got rid of Kane for 0(2). It was a dream start for England as they had an early inroad at the visiting side. However, NZ recovered from the blow thanks to a great partnership between Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor. In his second spell, James returned to claim the wicket of Taylor. But things were a bit too far from England by then, who lost. James finished with an impressive spell of 3/31 in his 9 overs.

3. 2/31 and 7/42 vs West Indies 2017 (Tests)

It was the third Test of the series between England and the West Indies. On a difficult wicket to bat on, West Indies were reduced to just 123 runs in the first innings. Anderson played a key role with his spell of 2/31. He got rid of Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope early in the innings. England replied with a score of 194 runs and got a handy lead of 71 runs.

In the second innings, England bowled even better. Anderson bowled one of the best spells of his career. The star pacer claimed 7/42 in his spell of 20.1 overs. The seamer dismissed five of the top six batters on his way to a 7-for. It helped England to dismiss WI to just 177 runs. England chased the target of 107 runs by 9 wickets. It was his career-best spell at Lord’s.