In pictures: James Anderson bids goodbye to international cricket
The best photographs from Anderson's final day as an international cricketer at Lord's
ESPNcricinfo staff
12-Jul-2024
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James Anderson's final day as an international cricketer started with a guard of honour. He was applauded onto the pitch at Lord's by his England team-mates and the West Indies' line-up, with captain Kraigg Brathwaite shaking his hand as he walked on.
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Bowling from the Nursery End - not his preferred end at Lord's - he struck with his seventh ball of the morning. It was a classic Anderson dismissal, suckering Joshua da Silva into playing across the line with an outswinger that angled in before swinging away late to take the outside edge.
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At the Pavilion End, Gus Atkinson was closing in on a landmark of his own. He removed Alzarri Joseph to clinch ten wickets on debut, then ripped Shamar Joseph's off stump out of the ground to leave him with four second-innings wickets.
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With Atkinson hunting a five-for at the far end but West Indies nine wickets down, Anderson had a chance to make his final ball as a Test cricketer a match-winning wicket. It looked like the perfect ending when Gudakesh Motie chipped one back to him...
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...but the ball evaded his grasp, leaving Anderson covering his face with his hand before smirking in disbelief. Look closely below for Ben Stokes' reaction at mid-off.
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Atkinson sealed England's innings victory with the wicket of Jayden Seales, caught in the deep in the leg side. It meant he finished with 12 wickets in the match, and a second five-for on Test debut.
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But it was left to Anderson to lead England off the field to a standing ovation at Lord's, the same venue where he played his first Test against Zimbabwe back in 2003.
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He was interviewed by Nasser Hussain in the England dressing room, Guinness in hand, then had a moment or two to compose himself before the post-match presentation.
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He was presented with an honorary life membership by MCC president (and incoming chair) Mark Nicholas, before ECB chair Richard Thompson performed a similar presentation.
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He was given several rousing cheers by the crowd, who broke into one final chant of 'Oh, Jimmy, Jimmy'.
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Anderson wasn't done just yet, with another TV interview to complete on Sky Sports.
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But he was finally given the opportunity to take it all in, on an emotional day for Anderson and for English cricket as a whole.
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