Anderson - England's king of swing.
  • Anderson - England's king of swing.
  • Emerging from nowhere, the right-armer impressed immediately in one-day cricket.
  • Anderson claimed 7-43 against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
  • He managed 54 Test innings before registering a duck.
  • The Lancastrian suffered a rib injury boxing on the pre-Ashes training camp.

Put simply, you will not find a better swing bowler in world cricket than an in-form James Anderson.

The Lancashire paceman has been referred to as something of a 'daisy' (some days he does, some days he doesn't), but in the last few years he has become the leader of England's seam attack.

His career for his country has been one of three chapters - a stunning start, a long period in the doldrums and then a happy ending ever since he has gone back to his roots.

Anderson had played just three games for his county when he was drafted into England's one-day squad on the tour to Australia eight years ago.

He took to international cricket like a duck to water, taking four wickets to dismantle Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup and then claiming a one-day hat-trick against the same opponents in the summer of that year.

Yet despite an equally-impressive start to his Test career, Anderson fell down the pecking order. Injuries did not help his cause - he missed nearly the entire 2006 campaign through a stress fracture of the lower back.

Failed attempts to rework his rather unconventional delivery style also led to problems until Peter Moores' ascent into the England coaching role in place of Duncan Fletcher coincided with a return to form - and his old methods.

A Man of the Series award in the home series against India in 2007 was a sign of things to come and given increased responsibility of being the number one bowler in the XI, the boy from Burnley flourished.

When conditions are in his favour Anderson is almost unplayable. At Trent Bridge in 2008 he flattened New Zealand by claiming 7-43 and at the same venue this year his claimed 11 Pakistan wickets in a landslide victory.

The 28-year-old does also hold a batting record for England. He managed 54 knocks before registering his first duck in Test cricket, several of those innings coming in the unrewarding role of nightwatchman.