In the 10 years since I made my Test debut here at Lord’s, I have experienced all manner of emotions, ranging from elation to something close to despair. But what happened when Alastair Cook threw me the ball to show it to the crowd after taking my 300th Test wicket surpassed everything. I was just overwhelmed.
I’d tried not to think about the milestone in the build-up. I wasn’t comfortable talking about it because of the old superstition that dictates the moment you do that, something nearly always goes wrong.
But no matter how I tried to play it down in public and in my own mind, I did view the prospect of becoming only the fourth man to take 300 wickets for England as huge.
Jumping for joy: James Anderson celebrates dismissing Peter Fulton of New Zealand to take his 300th Test match wicket Jimmy now has Sir Ian in his sightsHowzat! It just does not get any better for England’s James Anderson, who was presented with this specially commissioned Mail on Sunday print of his 300th Test wicket by his very own bowling idol, Sir Ian Botham.
Our columnist became only the fourth Englishman to reach the landmark after claiming the wicket of Peter Fulton at Lord’s. Not content with being a member of such an exclusive club, Anderson now has his sights set on Beefy’s own remarkable record of 383 Test wickets.
Then, shortly before 3pm on Friday, after having got a wicket in my first over to reach 299, I went tight into the stumps, Peter Fulton nicked one low towards Graeme Swann at second slip and while, at first, I wasn’t sure it had carried, once I saw Swanny go up, so did I.
My initial feeling was sheer relief that I had got it out of the way early. Then I recall a very long hug from Swanny. He knew how much it meant to me, even more so to see how much it meant to him.
I didn’t really have it in mind to take the ball and raise it to the crowd, as has become the norm for bowlers taking five wickets but, when Cooky tossed me the ball and the achievement was announced, it seemed the right thing to do.
Being at Lord’s, where I made a less-than-perfect start to my Test career, surrounded by very good mates and hearing that lovely applause from the crowd made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I will never forget any of it. And there were other reasons why it was such an intense moment.
There have been times in my career when I thought nothing like this would ever happen or could, when I’d been injured or dropped and wondered whether I would ever play for England again.
That day in Johannesburg in 2005, for instance, when I couldn’t put the ball anywhere near where I wanted to, taking 300 was the last thing on my mind. Nought for 17 in my first over in Test cricket wasn’t too flash, either.
Hitting the landmark: Anderson moved past the 300 Test wicket mark Celebration time: Anderson took five wickets in the first inningsAnd afterwards I was able to think about those who helped me on the way here. I don’t want it to sound like the Oscars, but I was thrilled that my mother and father, Michael and Catherine, were there to see me take the 300th Test wicket as they had been for the first, against Zimbabwe in May 2003, and that my wife, Daniella, and our girls joined me later.
It felt like payback for all their driving as they took me to matches when I was trying to break into the Lancashire team and all their support through thick and thin.
My mum spent years finding the magic formula for getting grass stains out of cricket whites before she cracked it and, when I was starting out, my dad always took me to the Lancashire trials, never criticised, and knew the way to McDonald’s, rain or shine. Without them, none of this would have happened.
Kneesy does it! Anderson sinks to his knees as he celebrates another wicketAnd the other person to whom I owe a debt of gratitude is my bowling role model, Sir Ian Botham.
I was infatuated with the game from an early age and had my own collection of cricket videos, but the one I watched most was my dad’s copy of Botham’s Ashes, the story of his brilliant performances in the 1981 series against the Aussies.
In fact, I wore it out.
I loved watching him bowl, his lovely action, the way he swung the ball both ways, his pace, his aggression, the colourful sweat bands and the mad hair, everything about him was larger than life and meant that, like a lot of people, I seemed to be drawn to him.
All together now: Anderson is mobbed by team-mates as he celebrates another wicket The 300 club: Anderson with Sir Ian Botham and Bob Willis who also took over 300 wicketsWhich makes it seem so strange that legends like Ian and Bob Willis, the only other living Englishman to take 300 wickets, are coming up to congratulate me.
I was asked afterwards if I felt Ian’s England record of 383 was gettable. Touching every piece of wood I could reach, I said I saw no reason why not. And while it would be amazing, to the star-struck young lad inside me it seems crazy even to be thinking about that possibility.
I’ve even heard that Ian thinks I might be able to get to 400 or beyond. There is a lot of work even to get close, so it was satisfying to put the milestone behind me and take another couple of wickets to record my fourth Lord’s five-for.
There were four-year gaps between the other three, in 2003, 2007 and 2011, which was slightly concerning and I’m still only halfway to Botham’s incredible record of eight five-wicket hauls at Lord’s.
But, as long as I am good enough and fit enough, I intend to give myself every chance.
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