‘A f**king legend’: What James Anderson means to England fans

There goes James Anderson, English cricket’s comfort blanket. For 21 years he has provided an ever-more reliable source of control and consistency. He remains a monument to the increasingly undervalued virtues of Test cricket.

There is unlikely to be an English cricket fan under the age of 30 who remembers the sport without Anderson, the constant gardener of wickets worldwide.

Social media has been flooded with tributes to England’s greatest bowler over the past few days, stories of largely trivial interactions which fundamentally altered lives and enriched souls.

And so I went to Lord’s in search of what Anderson means to English cricket, what his legacy should be and whether that legacy should be starting this week or when his nearly 42-year-old body finally gives in.

“He’s a f**king legend,” 52-year-old Steve tells i. “How many other cricketers have lasted as long as he has? 30 years ago I couldn’t have done what he’s doing.

“Sure, he’s slowed down in the past 18 months, but he’s still been consistent, he’s been tight bowler. He can still control a game and keep the run-rate down. We’re going to miss him.

“To play your first match and your last at the same venue, that has to be the epitome of your career right?”

Callum, an MCC member in his late 20s with a thick Scottish burr, says: “He means English cricket. I’ve never watched English cricket and Jimmy’s not been playing.

“Whether that’s home, abroad, ODIs, he is the only mainstay that I’ve ever seen across the six or seven captains I’ve seen him play under. He is the essence of England cricket.”

And 25-year-old Finn explains: “Jimmy Anderson has been bowling for England for my whole conscious life. He is synonymous with England cricket to me.

“He’s a huge inspiration for me playing cricket and it’s been brilliant being able to watch him in his final Test.”

His dad Ben tells a similar story: “It feels like he’s the last of the breed, he’s from an era pre-IPL, pre-T20, so I’m sad to see him go but it’s amazing to have watched him. I’ve got a younger son whose entire cricketing life started watching YouTube videos of Jimmy Anderson bowling, and he’s copied him.”

There’s a real lack of consensus over whether his Test retirement has come at the right time. People understand it, but they don’t like it. Did you see he took 7-fer at Southport? Maybe he could actually play forever.

“Without him, who knows where we’d be today,” Lancashire fan Fergus says. “It feels a bit premature even though he’s nearly 42.

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“It feels like he could still bowl for another four years and still keep on taking wickets. I can’t really imagine an England team without him bowling now. It’s time for him to move on but I’m struggling to agree with it.”

Callum has more faith in Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, saying: ““His skill level probably far exceeds him having to retire but it’s probably the right time. A good Test here doesn’t mean he needs to continue to the end of the summer, we haven’t learned anything different, they’re no further along with their plans.”

One interesting quirk of Anderson’s legacy is the lack of standout moments. Of the eight lifelong England fans I spoke to at Lord’s, only three could instantly reel off specific memories of Anderson. 21 years merges into this amorphous blob of new-ball magic, of swing and seam and sunshine from the Oval to the SCG.

Ben perhaps sums it up best when he says: “I just remember Jimmy being Jimmy.

“Throwing the ball to him on the opening day and knowing it’s going to work.”

And Finn elaborates, explaining: “Consistently being good doesn’t give rise to specific moments. It’s just that consistency and trust that makes you almost overlook what could be standout moments for other players.”

But of the standout memories, two people point to the viral clip of Mitchell Johnson asking Anderson “Why’re you chirping now mate, not getting wickets?”, before he knocks over Ryan Harris’s off-stump next ball. It is among the great Ashes moments.

There are also mentions for his masterful outswinger to McCullum at Trent Bridge in 2008 and one batting moment – Michael Clarke telling him: “Get ready for a broken f**ken arm” in Brisbane 11 years ago.

But what is striking throughout is the overwhelming love for Anderson, the deep sense of loss felt at his departure, as close to losing a friend or family member as sport gets. What England now have to make sense of is how to fill the gaping hole he leaves behind and navigate the haunting spectre his continued role with the team could produce.