How far can Jimmy go?

The fact they’ve played no white ball cricket to speak of for a number of years helps as well.

Anyway, a curious fact about Jimmy’s Test career - his first over went for 17 runs, including three boundaries from Zimbabwe opener Dion Ebrahim and a couple of no-balls. Two overs later, he bowled fellow opener Mark Vermeulen and the journey to 600 was underway. I remember seeing a report of his debut five-for on a TV screen in a now demolished Wetherspoons in Birmingham and thinking we have a new star here... I was right, but it took a while!

The other England debutant in that Test was Anthony McGrath. Not quite such a long and memorable career for him, though to be fair he was just a stopgap Freddie replacement. Also playing in that match was Alec Stewart, who is now 57.

And who eventually dismissed Jimmy’s early tormentor Ebrahim? That fearsome paceman... Mark Butcher. Who also took four in the second innings. Zimbabwe were quite crap, even back then.

Zimbabwe have always been (and probably always will be) crap.

They were ranked above us when we lost at home to the Snoozers in 1999 to hit rock bottom. There were the makings of a handy side there before politics decimated it shortly before the aforementioned Anderson debut series.

We flippin' murdered 'em.

Yes, as everyone has said - if not in so many words - hearty congrats to the Burrrnli Express on his mastodon achievement.

Prevailing against "remodelling" and the Vaughany style of captaincy (on the lines of "Got a problem, mate?" from mid-on when the tyro was struggling for confidence), to become an ATG.

Time was when he was criticised - justifiably to an extent, though some overdid it, Mick-style - for not doing much when he had no assistance from the pitch or (esp. in his case) through the air. True, unlike a Donald, a Steyn or a McGrath, for a few years he could rarely conjure up something from nothing, on sheer accuracy, pace and determination alone. But then, they were rare birds.

And with the passage of years, he learnt guile, and ability to do more with the ball - and the tricks of hiding the ball so the batsman was unsure what to expect, which way the delivery might bend or break. His accuracy also improved with confidence and experience.

He was also criticised for petulance, a quick temper and some immaturity. But hey, what a crowded field that is. I mentioned Donald, Steyn and Pidge ... also, let's remember that quick bowling is a gruelling, often thankless task, where critics (paid journos or armchair-based superior talents, if you're unlucky even your own skipper - see above) can be quick to carp and disparage, slow to praise for immense physical and mental efforts over 20, 30, even 40 overs in an innings, whatever conditions.

(Wrist spinners, whose job tends also to entail a lot of combative effort, more strenuous application than the smooth action of most finger-spinners, in many cases fall into the same short-tempered, tight-lipped, mouthy category.)

I don't think Anderson has engaged much in the "send-off" antics of others, has he, with finger-pointing and arm-waving? - I'm grateful for that.

He's also always seemed one of those who, however grumpy to the point of belligerence in the midst of combat when things are not working out, has shown himself modest, generous and (drily) witty at the end of play - and has not waited until his career is over to "switch off and be maturely human". Which is another definite plus.

Some might jib at the "ATG" qualification, despite the number of wickets. By countering how many Tests he's been lucky (or sometimes "lucky") enough to have played, over so many years.

But I think one of his greatest assets is endurance, and an obvious devotion both to the playing of a game he adores, and a sense of duty and privilege to play for his country as well. He's been injured, maybe more than most (another professional hazard of hard-working quick bowlers) - though not in the Alex Tudor, Shane Bond or Bruce Reid category! - but has shown immense resilience, and commitment to his cause on the level of a bloody Duracell bunny.

So I think those 600 wickets are well-merited, not only on skill alone.

And I think his place in the grand panoply also well deserved. Played, Jim.

Impressive hatchet job on Vaughan there, surprised you even managed to fit in a congratulatory comment for Jimmy (I guess you had to cut out the customary digs at Swanny and Aggers in order to do so )

I presume you’re backing Strauss as captain in my Millennial XI...

Vaughan is a tool, though, you'd have to admit.

And Swann is worse! A knob of the highest knobness.

They'd be two of the first chosen in a post 2000 knob XI, and yes, Vaughan would be the undisputed captain of that. Kumble would be vice captain. Broad and our own James Pattinson would open the bowling ... with Prior behind the stumps. Aggers and Geoffrey B would be behind the microphones, with expert comments from Michael Clarke, throwing to occasional 'witticisms' from Henry Blofeld. It's the telecast from hell.

beamer wrote:Impressive hatchet job on Vaughan there, surprised you even managed to fit in a congratulatory comment for Jimmy (I guess you had to cut out the customary digs at Swanny and Aggers in order to do so )

I presume you’re backing Strauss as captain in my Millennial XI...

Actually a lot of congratulations for Jim if you actually look beams, instead of following your own rather quick tendency to read my words as irredeemably jaundiced.

Captaincy matters. Especially to new fast bowlers. My emphatic criticism of Vaughan above was based on factual evidence in a particular case. Are your words?

Yeah beams post had me scratching my head too.

Peter's well considered and always smart and witty posts can scare the fark out of the TL:DR crowd!!!

Well yeah, the post generally made sense and my response was slightly tongue in cheek... but Peter’s default “let’s bash TMS and all associated with it” mode does grate on me a bit, even if I agree with a lot of the other things he says!

I’m not completely sold on Vaughan as a personality, but he brought us the Ashes back after 18 years, so I’m happy to let a few other things go...

lardbucket wrote:

beamer wrote:In the last 10 years, Anderson has 412 Test wickets at an average of 24.53.

Broad just edges him out over that time period with 417 (@ 26.11) - nobody else has recorded 300, with Boult and Southee next on the list.

They have played almost twice as many Tests over that period as Southee and Boult, and three times as many as most of the other fast bowlers on the list.  This probably goes to their durability as much as it does the number of home Tests with the Duke.

Anderson and Broad have mid 50s strike rates. Predictable names in the 40s such as Steyn, Rabada and Starc but one name that stuck out was Shami

Well, he just keeps going… 600 and Apple now in the rear-view mirror.

Originally had him on track to get to 700 in the current Test, but there’s been a few missed/cancelled in the meantime. He’s not going to catch Warne in Australia, sadly, but he’s only 80 away which is about 20 Tests, so another couple of years. Not out of the question. And ‘23 Ashes would be amazing… farewell Test at the Oval to win the series?

A five test home series against each of Afghanistan and Zimbabwe should see him over the line.

lardbucket wrote:A five test home series against each of Afghanistan and Zimbabwe should see him over the line.

I don’t think Afghanistan will ever play another Test, sadly. Have to admit I found myself thinking about how soon Rashid Khan could qualify for England…

So, to return to this as referenced on the SA Test thread… despite sitting out the latest Caribbean debacle, he’s knocked off another 40 or so in the past 12 months. Now at 667 from 175 Tests (only Tendulkar has more caps).

I think there’s only 5 away and 5 home Tests scheduled for the next 12 months unless we have a one-off with a minnow. But if he plays all of those that should take him to around the 700 mark, and possibly make him the most prolific bowler of all-time

The original fanciful projection had him passing Chuck next year, but even this would have been in the optimistic zone at the time.

And Broad’s only 101 behind him. And four years younger…

20 years ago today was Jimmy’s international debut. A triangular SODIT JAMODI bizarrely scheduled in the middle of an Ashes series!

He bowled Gilchrist for his first international scalp… but not before the Aussie legend had made 124. He finished with 1-46 off 6 overs in an 89-run defeat. As per his first Test over against Zimbabwe the following year, an inauspicious start!

England side was Trescothick, Knight, Irani, Hussain, Shah, Stewart, Blackwell, White, Batty, Anderson, Kirtley. And you wonder why we were shite at one-day cricket back then

Immense though. Astonishing how he can continue, it's testament to him. He's been protected somewhat by not playing the spank formats of cricket and has only trundled County games to keep himself loose for the impending Tests, but it's likely we'll not see such a sustained career again. That's as awe inspiring as his skill. He's got as much nip as he did 10 years ago.

Not a CJTQ then? Hope all is well with you.

lardbucket wrote:Not a CJTQ then? Hope all is well with you.

Possibly, I've forgotten the odd acronym or three!

Surprised if you’ve forgotten that one!!

lardbucket wrote:Surprised if you’ve forgotten that one!!

Probably early onset of dementia TBH

Brace yourselves, Aussies… he looks almost certain to surpass Warne during this year’s Ashes!

Over 200 wickets at an average of a fraction above 20 since turning 35. Remarkable.

Jimmy overtaking Warnie and regaining the ashes. That would really be something. Can't help but think that Warnie would be the first to congratulate him.