England wrapped up a comfortable win by an innings and 114 runs over West Indies in the first test at Lord’s on Friday, with James Anderson taking a wicket on the third day as he brought down the curtain on his stellar international career.
Anderson looked uncharacteristically emotional before the start of play as he walked out to a guard of honour and a standing ovation from the crowd in his 188th and final test.
But the 41-year-old seamer quickly got to work and had Joshua Da Silva (9) caught behind in his second over of the day, finding just enough movement to draw the outside edge and pick up his 704th test wicket, most by a fast bowler in the format.
Anderson’s fourth wicket of the match dented West Indies’ slim chances of making England bat again and Da Silva was quickly followed by Alzarri Joseph (8).
Joseph decided to go down swinging, clubbing Gus Atkinson back over his head for four amid some wild swipes before he top-edged Atkinson to Ben Duckett on the leg-side boundary, taking the former to 10 wickets on his test debut.
Shamar Joseph (3) was not far behind Joseph, clean bowled by Atkinson as the tailender missed a straight yorker with an ugly hack across the line.
Gudakesh Motie (31 not out) put up some resistance and was involved in two of the highlights of the day, first driving Atkinson to the cover boundary to draw a long chase and a full-length dive from Anderson to save a single run.
Motie then seemingly handed Anderson his 705th test wicket on a plate, driving the ball straight back to the bowler but he spilt it.
Anderson did not get a better chance for a final wicket and Atkinson wrapped things up when Jayden Seales (8) holed out to Duckett as West Indies were all out for 136 to fall to a heavy defeat inside barely seven sessions.
The two sides meet again in the second test of the three-match series starting at Trent Bridge next Thursday.
