Jimmy Anderson shows class for Lancashire in first Championship match for 16 years at Lord's

Jimmy Anderson took his first County Championship wickets at Lord’s for 16 years on the opening day of Lancashire’s clash with Middlesex.

The England paceman was still a fortnight shy of his Test debut against Zimbabwe in May 2003 the last time he came through the Grace Gates to represent the Red Rose county in the four-day format.

Among the then 20-year-old’s victims that day was a certain Andrew Strauss – a hint we were soon to be in the presence of greatness.

Some 575 Test scalps later, Anderson was back at the Home of Cricket, donning his county cap and kick-starting his Ashes year with all the craft and artistry garnered over the years en route to figures of 3-41.

And his efforts saw the visitors take the first day honours, reducing the hosts to 236-9.

But while the Burnley Express was in the spotlight, others deserve honourable mentions.

For Middlesex, who got the thin end of a draw with Northants in the first set of fixtures last week, there were pluses.

Stevie Eskinazi and Nick Gubbins both struck dogged half-centuries, displaying a stickability sadly lacking in thei side’s first innings at Wantage Road.

Though once they were gone an all too familiar first innings collapse ensued with Tom Bailey (4-51) also among the wickets for the Division Two favourites.

Anderson was the first to put his mark on the game after Dane Vilas exercised his right to bowl first.

The Lancashire skipper’s faith in his strike bowler was soon rewarded when Anderson found the edge of Sam Robson’s bat and Glenn Maxwell did the rest at second slip.

There could have been more reward for the 36-year-old in a first spell full of skill. Gubbins survived a huge lbw shout, while both he and Eskinazi played and missed numerous times.

Both dug in, Gubbins hitting some trademark cover drives, one of them off Anderson a great response to his earlier working over.

Eskinazi too was pugnacious, picking up several boundaries in shifting the early momentum towards the hosts, though he survived a scare on 32 when Maxwell failed to cling on to another edge, this time from the bowling of Graham Onions.

Gubbins was first to reach 50 from 104 balls courtesy of his eighth four. Eskinazi following shortly afterwards from two balls more. The pair raised the century stand and by mid-afternoon Middlesex were sitting pretty at 126-1.

That was Bailey’s cue to turn the tide, first trapping Gubbins lbw with one which swung in from around the wicket. Lady luck then shone on the Lancashire seamer as Eskinazi (75) got a tickle to one fired down the leg-side and young Brooke Guest, deputisingafter Alex Davies was injured in the morning, took a sprawling catch behind the stumps.

Middlesex skipper Dawid Malan, fresh from making 160 last week, picked up in similar vein with four early boundaries only for Anderson to return and have him taken at slip by Keaton Jennings for 24.

Malan’s dismissal sparked a cluster of wickets, England one-day skipper Eoin Morgan slashing a wide one from Josh Bohannon to Rob Jones in the gully, while Maxwell got due reward for some frugal off-breaks when John Simpson dragged one on.

Max Holden (34) had played nicely but Anderson returned with the new ball to induce another edge, and Bailey despatched both James Harris and Steven Finn before the close.