England legend James Anderson registers best T20 figures on return to format after 11 years

Chester-le-Street [UK], June 2 (ANI): England legendary pacer James Anderson made his return to T20 cricket for the first time in 11 years during the T20 Blast match against Durham for Lancashire on Durham, registering his best figures in the format as a mark of ultimate longevity.

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The 42-year-old English pace wonder, who retired from international cricket after last year with 704 Test wickets and over 991 international scalps, is currently signed to his county for a one-year-deal, which makes him available for County Championship and T20 Blast cricket, as per Wisden.

While international cricket limited his county appearances over the years, he made a County Championship appearance last year, picking up 7/35. Having last played ODIs in 2015 and T20I in 2009, Anderson had been focusing on Tests till his retirement last year and took up the job of consultant for bowling of England's men team after that.

Anderson's skill-set remains sharp as ever as he registered 3/17 in four overs at an economy rate of 4.25, his best numbers in the format. He started off by removing Graham Clark (10), skipper Alex Lees (16) and Colin Ackermann (18), reducing Durham to 3/46 in 7.1 overs. James Neesham's 40* in 25 balls, with five fours and a six lifted them to 150/6 in 20 overs.

Lancashire chased down the target easily, with Michael Jones (55 in 39 balls, with three fours and two sixes) and Josh Bohannon (31 in 28 balls, with two fours) posting notable scores. The target was chased down with four wickets to go.

Anderson's previous T20 match before this was in August 2014 against Warwickshire in the T20 Blast final, but went wicketless for 52 runs in four overs as his side lost by four runs. He has played a total of 45 T20Is, picking up 44 wickets at an average of 30.34.

After his Test retirement notable, Anderson had told the Final Word podcast last August as quoted by Wisden, that he was open to playing some franchise cricket.

"There are plenty of things to think about, and I just need to sit down and chat to people about it. I watch the Hundred and see the ball swinging around in the first 20 balls, and I think, 'I can do that. I can still do that."

"I do not know if that is a viable option, to see maybe if I could do a job in white-ball cricket? Franchise cricket is something I have never done," he concluded. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)