Anderson's adventure to 400
Writing for BBC, Stephan Shemilt & Sam Sheringham, go through a few highlights in the career of one of England's greatest Test bowlers
30-May-2015
Stephan Shemilt & Sam Sheringham, writing for BBC, take a look back at James Anderson's remarkable tale, told by those who knew him through different phases of his career. From bowling in Burnley as a 16-year-old to picking up 400 Test wickets for England, Anderson's career has had its ups and downs, but he has overcome those to become one of England's finest Test bowlers.
James Anderson set out on the path to bowling greatness in his home town of Burnley as he worked his way up to the cricket club's first team. But it was a shrewd piece of scouting by the mother of one of his team-mates that alerted Lancashire to his potential. John Stanworth was the Lancashire academy coach who remembers Anderson as a bright young talent who was painfully shy.
"Val Brown generally used to stay in the background so for her to bring Jimmy to my attention was quite powerful," says Stanworth. "We brought him for an indoor net and I was taken by his pace and late swing. I didn't think there and then that he was going to be an England bowler but I knew there was a talent there that I couldn't believe I had not seen before.