He also expressed hope that James Anderson might get a chance in the SA20 if he’s interested.
At 43, James Anderson has stepped into franchise cricket for the first time after retiring from international cricket last summer. The legendary England pacer entered the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction but didn’t attract any bids. However, after the IPL rejection, he was picked by Manchester Originals for The Hundred 2025, marking his debut in a franchise tournament.
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Anderson played in Manchester’s opening game against Southern Brave. Defending a low total of 134, he opened the bowling and started well, giving away just 10 runs in his first 10 balls. But his next 10 balls were costly, as Jason Roy went after him and he ended up conceding 26 runs. Anderson finished with figures of 36 runs from 20 balls. Despite a strong overall bowling effort, Manchester lost the match by just one wicket with one ball to spare.
Watching Anderson bowl in the powerplay, former Sunrisers Eastern Cape coach Dale Steyn posted on X that he would’ve bought Anderson for the SA20 if he was still a coach. He also expressed hope that Anderson might get a chance in the tournament if he’s interested.
“I’d buy Jimmy in the SA20. Unfortunately I’m not a coach anymore. Hope he still gets a gig if he wants it,” he posted on X.
Speaking to Sky Sports Cricket after his first match in franchise cricket, Anderson said that most of his career had been focused on Test cricket, so he did not get many chances to try out franchise tournaments. But now, he is really enjoying his summer. He talked about how much he has liked playing for Lancashire, taking 17 wickets in the T20 Blast and 16 wickets in five County Championship matches. Anderson said it has been a good summer for him and he feels thankful for the chance to play in a franchise setup. He added that he is happy to still be performing well at this stage of his career.
“Well, I’ve spent most of my career playing Test cricket, so it’s kind of got in the way. But I’m really excited. You know, it’s been a really good summer for me so far. I’ve really enjoyed being with Lancashire throughout the summer, enjoyed a taste of the T20 Blast as well, and just yeah, grateful for the opportunity to be here,” James Anderson said.
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Manchester Originals posted 131 for 4 after being put in to bat, with Phil Salt leading the way with a 41-ball 60. In the process, he overtook James Vince to become the all-time leading run-scorer in the men’s Hundred. Mark Chapman chipped in with a quick 22 off 12 to give the innings a late boost. For Southern Brave, Tymal Mills was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 22, removing Salt, Jos Buttler, and Heinrich Klaasen.
In reply, Southern Brave looked in trouble at 108 for 8, with Scott Currie picking up 4 for 28 for Manchester. But a late twist saw Craig Overton and Tymal Mills add a crucial 25-run stand to bring the Brave back into the game. With three needed from two balls, last man Reece Topley sealed a dramatic one-wicket win with a first-ball boundary.
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