Jimmy Anderson bowled over 40,000 balls in Test cricket over an international career encompassing 5 FIFA World Cups, 6 Harry Potter movies, 8 British Prime Ministers, 8 full-time England captains, 11 Taylor Swift albums, 20 ICC Men’s tournaments, formation of four independent nations, a worldwide recession, advent of generative AI, and a global pandemic. Sir Andrew Strauss debuted after him, retired before him, captained him, took slip catches for him, became the Director of England cricket, and stepped down between the ends of Anderson’s career.
Anderson has lived through the birth of T20 cricket and what feels like the death of Test cricket (joking, joking…or am I?).
Why I Will Always Remember Jimmy
I will always remember Jimmy Anderson because he made me fall in love with swing bowling.
I was just a six year old when I started following cricket – must have been around 2003-04. After the India-Australia Adelaide Test, I wanted to be a batter like Rahul Dravid. Just keep on defending balls and bat all day long.
This was coincidentally also around the time when Jimmy Anderson announced himself on the world stage. At that point, Jimmy was an up and coming English star with a streak in his hair.
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By watching Anderson, I realized cricket was a lot more than just batting. In English conditions, he could really make the ball talk. When he bowled, cricket became a true battle between bat and ball, with ample swings & misses, the outside edges, and the oohs & aahs.
When I immigrated from India to the US, Jimmy Anderson was bowling. I finished elementary school. Jimmy Anderson? Still bowling. I graduated high school, college, graduate school, and now working. Anderson? Yep, still there.
Between Jimmy’s debut and retirement, we all grew up. I definitely did.
Let’s Talk About That Action, Shall We?
He had it all, in swing, out swing, late swing, reverse swing, wobble seam, a bit of pace, but most of all, the perfect swing bowling action.
Every cricket fan has copied Jimmy Anderson’s action at some point in their lives. The steady run up, slightly angling in, the swift movement of the shoulders, arms going behind the back, bit of a jump, the follow through, and then the celebration. It’s magic.
The Moments that Lifted Anderson from Good to Great
Anderson had several great moments and stories in his illustrious career. Magnificent deliveries to VVS Laxman, Brendon McCullum, and Michael Clarke to name a few, consistent performances against West Indies, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, the 7/43 vs New Zealand, Ashes victories, 2015 ODI WC debacle, and the Steyn vs Anderson debate. I picked a few other characteristics in his career that stood out to me.
– Bowling Partnership with Stuart Broad
1308 wickets among them. The top two highest wicket takers for fast bowlers. Anderson took 537 wickets when Broad was involved. Broad took 502 of his 604 with Anderson in it. When Broad had one of THOSE spells, Anderson kept it tight. When Anderson was on a roll, Broad kept it tight. A partnership to behold, a partnership for the ages that made England a fortress at home for a decade.
– 2014 & 2018 Battle vs Virat Kohli
Anderson was the highest wicket-taker of the 2014 Pataudi trophy with 25 wickets, a class apart. Kohli was caught behind by Anderson on 25 (34) in the 2nd Test, and later was out on 39 (75), 0(2), and 7 (11) later.
In 2018, the battle continued but Virat Kohli had his redemption. Aside from couple of dropped catches, Kohli returned with scores of 149, 51, 97, 103, 46, 58, and 49 with no dismissals from Anderson.
– The Ashes
117 wickets in the Ashes with 8 four-fers and 5 five-fers, Anderson left his mark in the Ashes.
– Anderson vs Mitchell Johnson
In this video, you see a different side of Anderson. At the peak of his powers, Mitchell Johnson sledges Anderson. In reply, Anderson takes a wicket the next ball and gives one back to Johnson!
– Success in Asia and India
His last two tours in India were remarkable. He took 8 wickets at 15.87 average in 2021 and 10 wickets at 33.5 in 2024. In all, he took 92 wickets in Asia at 27.51. Not bad for one mocked as ‘Clouderson.’ He adapted and evolved with age.
Also fun fact, even though Anderson didn’t play an ODI match for about a decade, he is STILL the highest ODI wicket taker for England.
What Can We Learn From Jimmy Anderson?
Anderson’s longevity as a fast bowler will be marveled at for generations, but it was his swing bowling that set him apart. He developed this skill and kept refining it year after year until there was no match for him.
He utilized the English conditions like no other, kept himself fit for two decades, became a leader to the next generation, and was a great bloke all around. Rarely has someone come along who has single-handedly impacted England cricket, cricket as a whole, and the art form of fast bowling.
From the iPod 3rd generation to iPhone 15 Pro Max, from Beckham to Kane (Are the Euros coming home?); from the historic Volkswagen Beetle to self-driving Teslas, from Andrew Flintoff to Rocky Flintoff, and from Queen Elizabeth II to King Charles III, Anderson has seen it all.
Salute to you. There were never be another Jimmy Anderson.
Thank you for a special 20 years, I will cherish it forever.
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What were your favorite Jimmy Anderson moments?
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© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, LLC 2023. Originally published on 07/12/2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).
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