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Australian offspinner Nathan Lyon has playfully teased England’s seasoned fast bowler James Anderson. It’s noteworthy that both Lyon and Anderson are currently representing Lancashire in the ongoing County Championship Division One fixture against Nottinghamshire at Trafalgar Road Ground, Southport.
Lyon’s stint with Lancashire for the 2024 County Championship season includes seven matches, with the ongoing game against Nottinghamshire marking his final appearance for the club this season.
“It feels a little bit sick…” – Nathan Lyon about James Anderson
When questioned about his experience playing alongside the esteemed James Anderson, Nathan Lyon humorously poked fun at the veteran fast bowler while also acknowledging him as the greatest fast bowler in the history of the game.
“It feels a little bit sick me saying ‘come on Jimmy’ and him saying ‘nice Garry’. But that’s the beauty of county cricket I guess, to come over here and play with arguably the greatest fast bowler to play the game has been pretty special,” Lyon said at the end of Day 3.
“When I first signed for Lancashire, that was one of the big drawcards to hopefully bowl in a partnership with Jimmy (James Anderson). We’ve only done three overs so far but hopefully the weather holds off and we can have a decent crack tomorrow,” the legendary off-spinner added.
Lyon also shared his surprise at James Anderson’s retirement but mentioned how enjoyable it was to bowl alongside the legendary fast bowler.
“It was pretty cool being at mid-off and having him tell me what he was doing, it was good fun. I’ve said this before, I’m very surprised that England have tapped him on the shoulder and said, ‘You’ve got one more Test and that’s it’,” Lyon exclaimed.
“That was amazing to watch and amazing to be a part of” – Nathan Lyon on playing with James Anderson
The Australian offspinner also praised Anderson for his outstanding bowling performance that propelled Lancashire into a dominant position in the game. The 41-year-old fast bowler showcased his best form, dismantling Nottinghamshire’s batting lineup with figures of 7-35 from 16 overs.
“That was one of our best days of the summer. It was pretty amazing to come here to Southport and have Jimmy bowling as well. Doing what he did this morning was pretty amazing to witness,” Lyon stated.
“I’ve obviously seen it (when I’ve been) on the other side when I’m not standing there saying ‘come on Jimmy’ so that was amazing to watch and amazing to be a part of,” he added.
While James Anderson thrived in favorable conditions at Southport, Nathan Lyon had a quieter first innings, ending with figures of 0-24 from 6 overs.
Despite Lyon’s minimal impact initially, Lancashire’s strong bowling effort restricted Nottinghamshire to just 126 runs in their first innings, prompting Lancashire to enforce the follow-on. Lyon found his rhythm in the second innings, claiming 2-23 from 16 overs by the close of play on Day 3. Nottinghamshire ended the day at 84-2, still trailing by 143 runs.
Looking ahead, James Anderson is set to play his final international Test match against West Indies at Lord’s from July 10-14. This upcoming match will mark the 188th Test of his illustrious career.
