James Anderson takes five wickets for Lancashire


James Anderson warmed up for his showdown with fellow England record-breaker Alastair Cook later this week with a five-wicket haul for Lancashire in his opening first-class game of the season.

The first round of Specsavers County Championship matches sees Anderson and Cook, England's leading Test wicket-taker and run-scorer respectively, face off when the Red Rose travel to Essex in a Division One clash, starting on Friday.

And Anderson had an ideal dress rehearsal by taking five wickets for a miserly 10 runs across 11 overs at Fenner's against Cambridge MCCU, who were rolled over for a paltry 62 - 276 runs adrift of Lancashire's first-innings score.

The 34-year-old, who has been struggling with a shoulder injury for much of the past year, removed both openers and then returned to clean up Nipuna Senaratne - the only man to reach double figures with 31.

Anderson then took two wickets in the space of five balls to wrap up the innings on day two.

An injury update on Monday is expected on his Lancashire and England team-mate Haseeb Hameed, who had to be taken for a scan on his hand having retired hurt after facing only 23 balls on the opening day.

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