[Watch] "Jimmy delivering the goods at Lord's, one last time"- James Anderson gives cheers to crowd gathered on ground after his final Test
England pacer James Anderson had a special moment with the crowd at Lord's after the conclusion of the first Test against West Indies on Friday, July 12. It was also his farewell international match. The iconic bowler bid adieu on a high note as England won the match clinically by an innings and 114 runs.
James Anderson picked up one wicket in the first innings on day one and then scalped three wickets in the second innings. Debutant Gus Atkinson stole the show for England in Anderson's final match, picking up five-wicket hauls in both innings.
The 41-year-old pacer received a standing ovation from everyone on the ground after the match as he walked to the pavilion for one last time. Later, he gave cheers to the crowd, who gathered on the ground and had a drink on the occasion of his farewell. ECB shared a video on Instagram to give a glimpse of the moment and captioned it:
"Jimmy delivering the goods at Lord’s, one last time 😂🍻
"I appreciate everyone coming out here to cheer me on"- James Anderson after his farewell Test against West Indies at Lord's
At the post-match presentation after the first Test, Anderson reflected on his marathon international career, saying:
"It's been an amazing 20-odd years! I appreciate everyone coming out here to cheer me on and then, contributing to this win, like I've tried to do all throughout my career, it's special! This week has been different. Seeing my girls ring the bell on Day 1, bowling, the fans coming out and supporting like this, yes, can't ask for more!"
Anderson continued:
"Winning Test matches has always been my sole focus, but then, winning in Australia, winning in India and playing alongside some of the greats of the game will be big takeaways.
"The body has gone through a lot, a whole lot over the years, it's very much part of the process, but I won't have to go through that anymore! This format asks you to perform to your best all the time, there are no shortcuts."
James Anderson ended his Test career with 704 wickets from 188 matches, including three 10-wicket hauls and 32 5-wicket hauls. He is also the only pacer in Test history to bowl over 40000 deliveries.