Day 3 – Notts trail by 143 runs.
England veteran signals readiness for Test farewell with six wickets in opening spell
James Anderson celebrates a wicket  •  George Franks, via Lancashire Cricket
Nottinghamshire 126 (Slater 64*, Anderson 7-35) and 84 for 2 trail Lancashire 353 for 9 dec (Jennings 183, James 4-61) by 143 runs
James Anderson signalled his readiness for next week’s Test farewell at Lord’s by claiming a remarkable seven-wicket haul in his first Championship appearance of the summer, as Lancashire seized control against Nottinghamshire at Southport.
Anderson’s haul of 7 for 35 included an opening burst of 6 for 19 in ten overs, as Lancashire were able to enforce the follow-on after three days of the Vitality County Championship match at Southport & Birkdale Cricket Club.
Anderson, whose last competitive match was the fifth Test against India at Dharamsala in March, warmed up for his final Test next week as if he had never been away with the best figures in this season’s Championship, as Nottinghamshire were skittled for 126 in reply to Lancashire’s first innings 353 for nine declared.
Nathan Lyon took his 800th first-class wicket when the visitors followed-on 227 runs behind and they had reached 84 for two in their second innings by the close needing a further 143 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
“To do what he did this morning was pretty amazing to witness,” Lyon said of Anderson’s performance. “Obviously I’ve 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.
“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. No disrespect to the other bowler’s playing in this game, the class of what Jimmy brings to the table, the extra zip off the wicket, the extra bounce he gets – and that’s not even mentioning his skills set – that ability to go both ways and also bowl the wobble seam.
“It was pretty cool being at mid off and actually have him tell me what he was actually doing, it was good fun.”
Keaton Jennings declared once Lancashire had scored the six runs needed for a third batting point and then watched from second slip as Anderson unleashed an astonishing ten-over spell of six for 19 from the Harrod Drive End to destroy the Notts top and middle order line up.
If there was a shade of good fortune about his first wicket when Haseeb Hameed via a bottom edge deflected the ball just enough to clip the bails, the rest were the result of Anderson repeatedly hitting a perfect line and length on a good wicket but one that also offered some slight assistance.
Will Young was the next to depart when edging behind to wicketkeeper Matty Hurst followed by Joe Clarke caught at second slip for 0, while both Jack Haynes and Lyndon James fell caught fending off rib-high deliveries, the former at short leg and the latter via a glove to fourth slip.
Anderson took all six wickets to fall before lunch after Liam Patterson-White edged to give fourth slip another catch, and suitably refreshed the England bowler returned to have Dillon Pennington caught behind in the fifth over of the afternoon, for his 55th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket and 22nd for Lancashire.
By then Tom Bailey had nipped in to take two wickets in two balls, ending a 41-run partnership between Ben Slater and Calvin Harrison when the latter edged behind, and having Olly Stone caught at second slip.
Last pair Slater and Dane Paterson, who hammered two massive sixes, hit out to add 42 runs for the last wicket – the biggest partnership of the innings – before a direct hit by Lyon ended the innings with Paterson (19) short of his ground, leaving Slater stranded having carried his bat for a valiant 64.
The left-handed batter was less fortunate when Notts followed-on, trapped lbw for 17 by Lyon to give the Australian his landmark wicket shortly after the tea interval.
And Lyon also broke a determined 31-run partnership off 103 balls between Hameed and Young when he had the Notts captain caught behind for 41.
With Lancashire camped around the bat and the batters intent on survival above all else, Young (11 not out) and Clarke (11 not out) safely negotiated their way through to the close and the visitors will have to show similar resolve tomorrow if they are to stave off defeat.
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