43-year-old James Anderson defies age, takes career's 56th five-wicket haul during county game

Published - 05 Apr 2026, 11:19 IST | Updated - 05 Apr 2026, 12:02 IST

Former England fast bowler and Lancashire captain Sir James Anderson rolled back the years to take his 56th five-wicket haul in First-Class cricket against Northamptonshire in the Rothesay County Championship on Saturday, April 4.

Anderson took 5 for 64 in the first innings to restrict the opposition to 215 for 9 in the first innings. This was also his first professional game in six months, having last played at the highest level in September 2025.

Despite retiring from international cricket two years ago, Anderson continues to remain a vital member of Lancashire’s bowling attack at the ripe old age of 43. The right-arm seamer was announced as the Red Rose County’s red-ball captain ahead of the 2026 season.

His five-wicket haul against Northamptonshire takes his overall First-Class record to 1,148 wickets from 305 matches. The pick of the wickets taken by Anderson on Saturday was that of opener Ricardo Vasconcelos. Bowling round the wicket to the left-handed Vasconcelos, the former England star pitched the ball up that nipped back and found the gap between bat and pad to dislodge the stumps.

Full video of Anderson’s five-wicket haul can be seen below:

A post shared by Rothesay County Championship (@countychampionship)

Anderson continues to remain a threat in First-Class cricket despite being on the wrong side of his 40s. Last season, he took 17 wickets from just six County Championship games at an average of 25.94 whilst bowling at an economy of less than three.

The 43-year-old is now the captain of the side he first made his debut with back in 2001. The legendary fast bowler will be hoping to guide Lancashire back to Division One of the County Championship this time around.

Anderson retired from international cricket in 2024, playing his final Test match at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground against the West Indies. He ended his stellar Test career with a total of 704 wickets from 188 games in the longest format of the game. He holds the record of being the fast bowler with the most Test wickets under his belt.