There is no better place to start this week’s column than with a few words about James Anderson.
There have been plenty of plaudits going round for the England strike bowler since he took his 500th wicket against the West Indies in the third Test, and all of them have been deserved.
To be one of just six bowlers who have taken more than 500 wickets at the highest level of the game is an incredible achievement and I’m proud to be able to say I’ve played in the same team as James for most of my Test career.
Ian Bell
In any conditions, he is a world class bowler but, when the ball is seaming around, there is nobody in the game now – and maybe ever – who is a better exponent.
To be one of just six bowlers who have taken more than 500 wickets at the highest level of the game is an incredible achievement and I’m proud to be able to say I’ve played in the same team as James for most of my Test career.
There are certainly plenty more wickets in him and, whether he is playing for Lancashire or England, he has that fierce competitive determination to do what he can to help his team to victory.
It was another impressive series victory for England and it sets the Ashes series this winter up perfectly.
I give huge credit to the West Indies because, after their very poor showing at Edgbaston, they won at Headingley and were well in the game at various points of the decider at Lord’s.
But you have to take your hat off to England for winning yet another series.
On the subject of the Lord’s game, I would like to wish one of the voices of cricket, Henry Blofeld, all the best.
Like many others, I’ve grown up listening to Test Match Special and ‘Blowers’ has certainly been an integral part of that team. He brought his own unique style which will be sorely missed.
As for my own form, it goes without saying that I haven’t scored the weight of runs I would have liked over the last few months and I’m working extremely hard to try and end the season with a flourish.
Ian Bell
It was another disappointing week for everyone at Warwickshire with a Specsavers County Championship defeat to Somerset at Edgbaston.
Again, we didn’t fire 100 per cent with either bat or ball and it left us going into this week’s home game with Essex with us, realistically, needing a minor miracle to stay up.
Whatever happens, we will keep pushing as hard as possible to the end of the season. We know we need to win our last three games and hope for other results to go our way to have any chance of beating the drop.
As for my own form, it goes without saying that I haven’t scored the weight of runs I would have liked over the last few months and I’m working extremely hard to try and end the season with a flourish.
Relinquishing the captaincy has given me more time to work on my batting and hopefully that will soon show in my scores.
I feel like I’m hitting the ball as well now as I have done in the best periods of my career and I’m extremely confident a really big score is just around the corner and hopefully that will help us towards winning games. That’s certainly what I’m totally focussed on between now and the end of the season.
