James Anderson Receives Guard of Honour on His Farewell Day in Test Cricket at Lord's

On Friday, July 12, the retiring James Anderson received a Guard of Honour from both England and West Indies players as he stepped out at Lord's for what was potentially his last day in Test cricket. The legendary fast bowler was celebrated by players from both teams and a cheering crowd.

England was on the verge of victory, needing only four wickets to win the opening Test match on Day 3. Fans packed Lord's stands to bid farewell to Anderson. West Indies struggled and were bowled out for 136 in 47 overs, with Gus Atkinson taking five wickets in the second innings and finishing the match with 12 wickets on his debut.

Anderson provided England an early breakthrough by dismissing Joshua Da Silva in the third over of the day. He also bowled out Shamar Joseph, but it was Atkinson who grabbed attention by taking the final wicket to complete his five-wicket haul. England won by an innings and 114 runs, securing a 1-0 lead in the three-match series at home.

Anderson, 41, concluded his illustrious career with 704 wickets in 188 Test matches, making him the third-highest wicket-taker in Test history, behind legendary spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne. After England's emphatic win, Anderson expressed his gratitude to the crowd and shared his emotions in his final post-match interview.

"Obviously this morning was quite emotional with the two teams lined up and the reaction from the crowd was pretty special," Anderson told Sky Cricket. "I'm still trying to hold back the tears, but I'm really proud of playing for 20-odd years. It's an incredible effort, especially for a fast bowler.

"I'm just happy that I've made it this far. Happy that I've been lucky enough to stay injury-free pretty much throughout my career. And yeah, play for England. It's the best job in the world, so I've been privileged to be able to do it for a long time."