James Anderson unlikely to return in Lancashire match while England suffer another bowling blow

James Anderson is unlikely to play any further part in Lancashire’s clash with Somerset because of a groin injury sustained when bowling in the match.

Anderson bowled 14 overs on Thursday, returning impeccable figures of two for 16. But he left the field late on the first day, and did not return on day two. On the third day, he did not come out to bat at the far of Lancashire’s ninth wicket at Old Trafford, with the side instead closing their innings. Anderson then did not bowl at the start of Somerset’s second innings, and is considered unlikely to take any part on the final day of the clash in Manchester.

While the club are tight-lipped about the situation, Anderson’s fitness is a major worry for England ahead of their Ashes campaign, which begins on June 16. In 2019, Anderson pulled up with a calf injury four overs into the Ashes and did not play again in the series, which was drawn 2-2. So far this summer Anderson has been in fine form for his county, taking 16 wickets at an average of 20.3 apiece in four matches.

The news about Anderson adds to England’s concerns about the fitness of their pace attack. For Durham on Saturday, seamer Brydon Carse needed a scan after what Durham called “a trunk injury.” Carse, who combines height and bounce and has made huge strides in his batting, is highly-rated in the England set-up and, if fit, likely to come into strong contention for a place in the squad to play Ireland in the opening Test of the summer on June 1. The squad is set to be named in the coming days - but, with Jofra Archer and Olly Stone already ruled out, could now be without Anderson and Carse too.

In the same game at Chester-le-Street, Jonny Bairstow continued his incremental return to form with a hard-fought 36 off 101 balls in Yorkshire’s tight game against Durham. It was his highest score, because of his horrendous leg injury, since last August.

In his four comeback innings in the championship so far Bairstow has scored an unbeaten 20 and nought against Glamorgan, then 27 and 36 against Durham, in addition to keeping wicket in both games.

The Riverside pitch was as far as could be from the fast and true pitches which their local-lad-made-good, Ben Stokes, has requested for the Ashes. It was a slow, low seamer on which Bazball-style batting, against a persistent seam attack, was theoretically impossible.

After a winter of rehabilitation Bairstow needs miles in his legs as much as anything, although the rhythm and confidence which come from one big innings would be welcome before the Ashes. In this sense a hard grind at the Riverside has been useful, and it made for a good test of his defence if not his blazing strokes.

Not out on 16 off 47 balls overnight, Bairstow would have expected to kick on, except the ball swung more on a sunny morning, with Matty Potts beating him three times in one over with his outswingers.

Potts is rising up the list of England seamers simply by staying fit. After Carse’s injury, England are currently getting down to a bare minimum of seamers for five Ashes Tests in six weeks.

Ben Raine, as well as Potts, made the ball swing away from Bairstow and this time he got the toe end of his bat on an outswinger which flew towards the first and only slip. Bairstow will be pleased if, by the time of the Ireland Test or the Ashes, he is keeping as well as Durham’s Ollie Robinson who dived all the way across first slip to hold on.

In Division One, five for 16 from Dane Paterson helped Nottinghamshire complete a crushing innings and 25 run victory over Northamptonshire. Eight wickets in the match for Chris Rushworth - bowling better than ever aged 36 for his new county - helped Warwickshire to a four-wicket victory over Essex, taking the Bears top of the table. Glamorgan, who remain unbeaten after five matches, rose to second in Division Two with a 10-wicket victory over Worcestershire.