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James Anderson returned his best T20 figures in his first match in 11 years on Sunday. (X/Lancashire Cricket)
After moving on from his legendary Test career last year, English pace ace James Anderson returned to T20 cricket for the first time in 11 years with his career-best haul in the format on Sunday.
Anderson, who signed on a one-year county contract after his Test retirement as the highest wicket-taking pacer with 704 scalps, made his return to the T20 Blast against Durham. Making an instant impact with his ever-snappy action, Anderson accounted for the Durham top-order whilst registering his best T20 figures.
The 43-year-old removed openers Graham Clark and Alex Lees within the first overs before returning to dismiss Dutchman Colin Ackermann in the 11th over before finishing up with 3/17 in four overs in Lancashire’s eventual four-wicket win.
International duties historically restricted Anderson’s availability for Lancashire. However, in the bid for his final Test season last year, Anderson turned up for Lancashire and secured figures of 7-35 in his sole 2024 Championship outing. Prioritising his rich hauls in Test cricket for the most of last decade, Anderson made his final ODI appearance in the 2015 World Cup and never appeared in a T20I after 2009.
Enjoy every ball of Jimmy Anderson's 3/17, on his return to the Vitality Blast 🌹 pic.twitter.com/EU052tWlIr
— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) June 2, 2025
While he had made the transition to a brief consultant mentorship role for the England men’s bowling unit, Anderson had insisted on giving T20 and franchise cricket a go, believing he still got the gears to deliver in the competitive format.
This was Anderson’s first T20 appearance since August 23, 2014, when he played for Lancashire in the T20 Blast final against Warwickshire. That match went against the sprit as the England legand leaked 52 runs in four overs as Lancashire lost by four runs. In total, Anderson has played 45 T20s in his career for Lancashire and England, taking 44 wickets at an average of 30.34, with an economy rate of 8.36 runs per over.
Anderson made his first IPL auction appearance during the 2025 Mega Auction last year, but he found no takers in the two-day event. “I know for a fact that my body has got a certain amount of deliveries left in it. Once that goes, I’ll no longer be a bowler. But as long as my body allows me to bowl, I will see myself as a bowler. And other people can see me as whatever they want to see me as. I don’t care,” Anderson had recently said in a Guardian interview, insisting that he wants to keep going with the ball.
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