Lancashire skipper James Anderson: ‘Starting the first six weeks well is absolutely crucial’
James Anderson spoke on Lancashire County Cricket Club’s poor start to their 2025 season and how important it is to start the first few games strongly especially with how competitive Division Two has become.
Lancashire are set to start their 2026 with their first four day match against Northamptonshire at the County Ground on Friday.
Anderson was named Lancashire’s interim captain during the 2025 season but has taken full commitment of the role for the upcoming season for the County Championship side.
“It feels like a huge honour, it’s such a prestigious club with a lot of history so to be captain of the four day side is a very proud moment for me,” said the 43-year-old.
It was a slow start for Anderson’s side in league last year, drawing their first seven games with their first win only coming on July 2 against Derbyshire.
They ultimately finished fifth winning a further two more matches and gaining 175 points across the whole season.
“Last year we gave ourselves way too much to do at the back end of the year and we’ve spoken about this all through winter about how starting the first six or seven weeks is crucial,” said Anderson.
“Obviously our goal is to get promotion and hopefully we can take on the form that we showed from last year to the start of this year.
“It was a really tough year for us in the field especially in the red ball game,” said Anderson, when asked about improvements his side need to make for the 2026 season.
The pace bowler was sidelined at the start of last season with an injury to his right calf but he said he feels ready for what’s to come.
“I got injured just before the season and missed the first six or seven weeks but this year I’ve had a full hit of the fitness and skills side of the games, I’m raring to go and I want to play as much as possible.”
Lancashire were about to welcome the signing of oversees fast bowler Mitch Perry until he was hit with an unfortunate recurrence of a lumbar bone stress fracture which has kept him with Cricket Victoria instead.
“It was frustrating that he couldn’t make it and were looking to replace him but we can’t just get someone to fill a spot, it needs to be someone who we think can add value to the team,” said the ex-England star about Perry’s injury.
Lancashire’s focus is on the first few games as it is of huge importance to Anderson and his side to start well and not to have a repeat of what happened last year.
