England pace spearhead James Anderson turns 37 on Tuesday. Born on July 30, 1982, the right arm pacer is England’s highest wicket-taker across formats and is also one of the greatest swing bowlers to have graced the game. The Burnley-born pacer is known to move the ball both ways and has foxed best of batsmen throughout his career. The right-arm-pacer has especially been a stellar performer for English in whites and is occupying the second position in the ICC Test Bowler’s Ranking. England vs Australia, Ashes 2019 Schedule With Match Time in IST For Free PDF Download: Full ENG vs AUS Test Series Time Table, Fixtures and Venue Details.

The 37-year-old made his international debut way back on December 15, 2002, and today the paceman has become an absolute legend of the game. Anderson played a total of 148 tests, 194 ODIs and 19 T20Is in which the pacer claimed 575, 269 and 18 wickets respectively. The veteran also played a crucial part for England in Ashes and many times turned the match in the team’s favour with his scintillating spells. So, On the occasion of his 37 birthday, let’s have at some match-defining spells bowled by James Anderson in Ashes.

5/85 and 5/73 (Trent Bridge, Nottingham), First Test, Ashes 2013

In the opening Test of Ashes 2013, James Anderson pulled off a victory from the jaws of defeat. On a batting-friendly Nottingham track, he successfully swung the ball and castled five Australian batsmen in the first innings. However, the English batting line-up fumbled and were bundled out for 215 in the first innings handing Australia a healthy lead after Aussie's number 11 batsman Ashton Agar hit 98. But, Anderson again took a fifer in the fourth innings and England won the match by 14 runs.

 

6/47 (Edgbaston, Birmingham), Third Test, Ashes 2015

The Australian batsmen were trailed by James Anderson’s swinging deliveries as the latter took six wickets and the visitors were bundled out for mere 136 runs. England took a heavy first-innings lead and Australia never seemed to make a comeback in the encounter. England won the match by eight wickets and took a 2-1 lead in the series.

5/43 (Adelaide Oval), Second Test, Ashes 2017-18

The veteran shined in the encounter that was completely dominated by Australia. The pacer broke all the stereotypes about him being a home track bully and took five wickets Down Under. However, the pacer’s effort wasn't enough to take his team over the line and England lost the match by 120 runs.

5/ 80 (Edgbaston, Birmingham), Third Test, Ashes 2009

The pacer rattled the visitors in the third Test match of the series and against showcased his masterclass with the ball. Anderson dismissed five batsmen of the famed Australian batting line-up and restricted the visitors for 263 runs. However, the match was mostly dominated by rain and the encounter resulted in a draw.

So, these were some great spells bowled by James Anderson in his Ashes career. The Ashes 2019 is round the corner and the veteran will again be expected to deliver in Test Cricket’s biggest rivalry. The 37-year-old is standing strong in the twilight of his career and will have to play a crucial role in guiding England to the urn.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2019 09:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).