James Anderson to captain Lancashire in next two Championship rounds

Lancashire will be captained by James Anderson in their next two County Championship matches, with the 42-year-old stepping into an interim role due to Marcus Harris returning to Australia for the birth of his child.

Anderson has only played once in the Championship this season, after a calf injury ruled him out for the first six weeks, but has been in good form in the Vitality Blast. He is set to lead the side against Kent in Blackpool starting on Sunday, in what will be his first experience of captaining a professional XI.

Anderson will become Lancashire's third red-ball captain this summer, with Harris having succeeded Keaton Jennings after a difficult start to the season that also cost Dale Benkenstein his job as head coach.

"Jimmy [Anderson] will lead the side and it is exciting for him and us," Steven Croft, Lancashire's interim head coach, told the BBC. "He has captained only once and that was in a pre-season tour T20 game in Dubai so it will be nice for Jimmy and nice for the lads.

"He has obviously got a lot to offer on and off the field. It will be a proud moment for him. It is not obviously all on Jimmy but it helps and his presence, particularly as captain, is a massive boost for the rest of the lads."

Lancashire are currently second from bottom in Division Two, having drawn five and lost two of their seven games, but they have enjoyed a successful start to the Blast, winning four of six to sit third in the North Group. Anderson has played his part, returning to the format after more than a decade and taking ten wickets in four matches.

The Blast will break after Friday's fixtures for two rounds of the Championship, with Lancashire facing Kent at home before a trip to play Derbyshire at Chesterfield. Harris will miss both games, but Lancashire will be able to call on Australian overseas signings Ashton Turner and Chris Green.

"The way I'm looking at it and what I will say to the team is this is a pivot in the season," Croft said. "Seven games that have gone before we can't do anything about. But we still have seven games to climb the ladder and there is still a chance we can go up.

"We are only a few wins away from being right at the top so we can use it as pivot in the season to get in the right direction. That break with the Blast, suddenly those wins seem a little bit more attainable."