Jimmy Anderson ‘proud’ at becoming England’s leading Test wicket-taker

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/apr/17/jimmy-anderson-proud-england-leading-wicket-taker

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As the ball found the edge of Denesh Ramdin’s bat and ended up in the safe hands of Alastair Cook, the overriding emotion of Jimmy Anderson, on exceeding Sir Ian Botham’s England record number of Test wickets, was that it had given his side a chance of winning a match that appeared to be heading for a draw.

It had been a hard day on an unforgiving surface for bowlers and Anderson’s wicket had brought to an end a seventh-wicket partnership of 105 between Ramdin and Jason Holder, who was to complete a maiden Test century just before the end of the match.

“My immediate thought was that we were back in the game,” said a weary Anderson after the post-match formalities had been completed, “and that we had opened an end up to win the game.” It was not to be, as Holder played with great maturity to finish unbeaten on 103.

Anderson admitted that he could not remember a flatter surface on the final day of a Test. “For a fifth-day pitch I’ve not seen anything flatter. You would expect a bit of deterioration there and it spun a little bit more as the game went on but not much. We tried all that we could and I’m not sure we could have done much else. We tried everything as bowlers, with different fields, cutters, reverse swing and it wasn’t quite enough, so [it was] frustrating in that respect.”

Of the catch Anderson said how pleased he was that his good friend Cook had taken it. “I’d never have forgiven him if he’d dropped it,” he said. “It was great, though, not just because it was him who caught it but actually that he was on the field when I did it. We’ve played a lot together and I know it means a lot to him as well.”

He added: “I am hugely proud. It is great to have my family here and taking over from an English legend is a proud moment. It [the record] has not been a target. I love taking wickets, I love playing for England. It is a dream come true to play for England, let alone for 100 Tests.”

The delivery that got the decisive wicket was a genuine leg-cutter, he said, delivered by cutting his middle finger down the side of the ball. “I used to bowl it with a scrambled seam,” he revealed, “but I’ve watched how Stuart Broad bowls it with the seam upright. So now I jam my middle finger behind the seam and then just rip down. I think we might have to be bowling a few more off- and leg-cutters in Grenada if the pitch is anything like this has been.”

Darren Gough was among those to lead the tributes to Anderson, tweeting: “Well done Jimmy. Truly deserved, a genius.”

The former England captain Michael Vaughan told Test Match Special: “What a bowler Jimmy Anderson has been for England. A joy to watch throughout the years.”

For Cook there was disappointment that they could not get the job done but he was full of praise for the efforts of his bowlers. “I honestly don’t think there is much else we could have tried. We left everything out there and sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition.They batted very well to frustrate us. We shan’t be thinking about any changes to the team until we get to Grenada and see the pitch.”

The arrival of Moeen Ali, though, will surely mean James Tredwell’s return as off-spinner will have been a brief one.