James Anderson (cricketer) - Domestic Career

Domestic Career

Anderson made his first-class debut for Lancashire in 2002; he played 13 matches and took 50 wickets at an average of 22.28, including three five wicket hauls. He was awarded the NBC Denis Compton Award for Lancashire's most promising young county player in the 2002 season. In 2003, Anderson became the youngest player to take a hat trick for Lancashire, just a week before his Test match debut against Zimbabwe; it was the first hat trick at Old Trafford in eight years. In a match against Worcestershire in May 2004, Anderson recorded his maiden first-class ten wicket haul.

2005 was Anderson's first full season for Lancashire. He was propelled into the England side soon after his Lancashire debut and had returned to rediscover his form after winter tours with England where he had spent the majority of his time on the sidelines, and when given a chance for England he often bowled poorly due to a lack of match practice. He finished the season with 60 first-class wickets at an average of 30.21 and 27 one day wickets at an average of 22.00.

Anderson was prevented from playing much for Lancashire in the 2006 season by a stress fracture of the back sustained in early May. He played in only two matches for Lancashire, and at one point it was considered sending Anderson to play for Glamorgan to prove his fitness; however, Lancashire decided they would rather have Anderson play for them if only in a limited capacity. In the only first-class match he played for Lancashire that season, he was limited to three four overs spells by the ECB who were wary of injuring him again.

In 2008, after the Test and one day series against South Africa ended at the beginning of September, Anderson was made unavailable to play for Lancashire for the rest of the season. He finished the season with 20 first-class wickets at 7.75 for Lancashire.

At the start of the 2009 English cricket season, Anderson took career-best match figures in a first-class match with 11/109 against Sussex as Lancashire won by 8 wickets. It was the only first-class match he played for Lancashire before being called into the England squad for a series against the West Indies. As of 26 April 2009, Anderson had taken 188 wickets at 24.37 from 48 first-class matches with Lancashire, and 66 wickets at 21.78 in 44 list A matches.