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Before the start of Day 3 at Lord’s Cricket Ground, James Anderson, the seasoned fast bowler, received a heartfelt guard of honour from both the England and West Indies teams. This poignant gesture marks Anderson’s final international appearance, as he retires from national representation.
The Windies had initially planned to honor the legendary fast bowler with a guard of honour when he came out to bat at the end of the first innings. However, as Jason Holder explained, the team was caught up in celebrating a wicket and inadvertently missed the opportunity.
Despite being visibly emotional, Anderson composed himself, understanding the match was still underway. England began Day 3 needing four wickets to secure victory.
In a poignant moment, the 41-year-old struck early, dismissing Joshua da Silva with a thick outside edge caught by the keeper, marking his third wicket of the innings and fourth in total.
For English cricket fans, it’s a bittersweet occasion as they witness the final moments of arguably their greatest-ever fast bowler.
Anderson holds the distinction of being the only fast bowler to surpass 700 wickets in Test cricket, ranking third overall behind Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Australia’s Shane Warne (708).
Despite James Anderson believing he’s still fit to continue, England’s management feels it’s time to conclude his illustrious career, aiming to start early preparations for next year’s Ashes tour in Australia.
Meanwhile, debutant Gus Atkinson shone brightly, mirroring Anderson’s heroics by claiming a superb 10-wicket haul, propelling England towards the brink of victory.