Finding the Edge

Martin Chandler | 8:37am GMT 12 January 2025

Published: 2024
Pages: 293
Author: Anderson, James and White, Felix
Publisher: Bonnier Books
Rating: 3.5 stars

Some cricket tragics spend their lives in the past and, remarkably, take next to no interest in the modern game. I certainly don’t fall into that category, as I am happy to spend time watching Test cricket no matter who is playing, but when it comes to reading about the game the lives of current players and the recently retired are not my genre of choice.

But I decided to make an exception for James Anderson’s autobiography. The man is, after all, a quite remarkable athlete and we also, or so I like to think, have a good deal in common. We are both English, beyond that both Lancastrian and, perhaps more tellingly, both have difficulties with the concept of retirement. It is true that being England’s premier opening bowler is a world away from what I do for a living, but on reading this in parts very candid autobiography some of the ways in which Anderson’s thought processes work certainly struck a chord with me.

It is a book that, as is frequently the case these days, starts at the end of the story and that meeting with Rob Key, Brendan McCullum and Ben Stokes at a Manchester hotel at the end of April last year. The purpose of the conversation was to present Anderson with a fait accompli in relation to the end of his Test career. That is followed by an account of that not entirely satisfactory denouement at Lord’s against West Indies in May.

From there on the story goes back to Anderson’s roots in Burnley and adopts a straightforward chronological journey through his life. With 704 Test wickets to his name in as many as 188 Tests the book might have been a thousand pages long, but none of the 55 chapters are lengthy and some of them comprise just a page or two. The narrative does not dwell on Anderson’s statistical achievements, but selects various key matches, series or episodes and then looks at those from Anderson’s perspective.

Some of the chapters serve as a reminder of past glories, but in the main their purpose seems to be to explain Anderson’s personality and what makes him tick. In that respect the book does very well, and in particular why he would not have even considered retirement had the issue been one where he was able to make a choice.

And of what of Anderson’s future? We know he didn’t want to retire, and hasn’t done so. Like, I would think, all Lancashire supporters, I would love to see him commit himself to playing for the county in 2025. His remarkable performance at Southport in his sole Championship appearance last summer suggests to me that in Division 2 next summer he could expect to take around 70 wickets at 15.

The ECB will, given Anderson’s experience, surely want him in Australia next winter to continue his duties as a bowling coach where, injuries forcing hands, in my dreams he has to be invited out of retirement for one last hurrah in front of Bay 13.

Which brings me back to my observation that Finding the Edge is candid only in parts. Thus it could not be clearer that Anderson himself believes that he still has something to offer the England Test side, but whilst his unhappiness with the decision that Messrs Key, Stokes and McCullum is out in the open, there is no real criticism of the decision makers themselves.

The explanation for that, I would like to think, is that Anderson agrees with my sentiment that there may just be a way back if his bowling were to catapult Lancashire back into the top flight. But in truth I know it isn’t*, and that whilst Anderson is happy to share with the world his opinions on the subject of himself, he draws the line at saying very much that is negative about anyone he played with for England. The closest he comes to doing so, not unexpectedly, is on the subject of Kevin Pietersen, but even then that criticism is straightforward, reveals nothing new and certainly wouldn’t have had KP dashing off to see his lawyer.

It might have been expected that Anderson would be rather more strident in expressing his views on those he has crossed swords with over the years. Again however there is nothing written that will antagonise anyone. Michael Clarke’s broken arm comment from 2013/14 is mentioned as are plenty of other controversial moments, but no scathing judgments are expressed. The one comment that did leap out at me is a reference to Brett Lee throwing rockets with a scuffed-up white ball under lights, but despite the use of the ’t’ word in that sentence nothing else in the book suggests Anderson or anyone else had any concerns over Lee’s action.

So if you want to know about the life and times of James Anderson, and his alter ego Jimmy Anderson, this one is a worthwhile, well written and instructive read. It’s not so good if you want to know what he really thinks, albeit if truth be told he probably says enough, without actually putting it into words, to enable his reader to fill in some of the blanks. That much said one day, in a few years time when even the man himself has no choice but to accept that his career is over, I suspect there is an even better book to come from Anderson and White.

*Or might it? Since writing this review it has been reported that Anderson is in talks with Lancashire over his future plans, so I can carry on dreaming.