Former England fast bowler and Lancashire captain, James Anderson, marked his return to First-Class cricket by taking his 56th five-wicket haul in the Rothesay County Championship against Northamptonshire on Saturday, April 4.

Anderson finished with figures of 5 for 64 in the first innings, helping Lancashire limit Northamptonshire to 215 for 9. This performance came in Anderson’s first professional match in six months, with his previous appearance at the highest level coming in September 2025.

Although Anderson retired from international cricket two years ago, he remains a vital figure in Lancashire’s bowling lineup at 43. He was recently appointed as the red-ball captain of the team ahead of the 2026 season.

With this five-wicket haul, Anderson’s career First-Class wickets now stand at 1,148 from 305 matches. One of his standout wickets came when he dismissed Northamptonshire opener Ricardo Vasconcelos, with a delivery that pitched up, nipped back, and went through the gap between bat and pad to hit the stumps

Despite his age, Anderson continues to be a major force in First-Class cricket. In the previous season, he took 17 wickets from just six County Championship matches, at an impressive average of 25.94 and an economy rate of under three.

Now leading Lancashire, the club where he began his career in 2001, Anderson hopes to guide them back into Division One of the County Championship. He retired from international cricket in 2024 after his final Test match at Lord’s against the West Indies. Over the course of his career, Anderson took 704 wickets in 188 Test matches, holding the record for the most wickets by a fast bowler in history.