James Anderson rushed back from Caribbean for county return

In Barbados heads may still be clearing while eyes struggle to focus, but by mid-morning tomorrow, volcanic ash permitting, James Anderson should have put England's Twenty20 celebrations well behind him and be heading by fast car from Gatwick to Birmingham for a Wednesday appointment with county cricket. Anderson may not have been key to England lifting the world title – he did not play in the competition proper, last bowled in a warm-up match against Bangladesh three weeks ago and seems to have spent much of his time on West Indian golf courses – but Lancashire are keen to have him take some part in the championship match which started here today. If the plane arrives at Gatwick on time – and the schedule had twice changed even by tonight – the county will have a car waiting for the dash to the Midlands where Anderson is pencilled in to play at Edgbaston on Wednesday and Thursday – not just helping Lancashire's push up the table but to get a bit of practice in before the first Test of the summer, at Lord's in nine days. Without two days against Warwickshire, currently fifth and two places behind Lancashire, Anderson will have to make do with 40-over cricket before he joins the England squad to play Bangladesh. However, until he arrives Lancashire are giving Luke Procter his championship debut, the 21-year-old hitting three crisp boundaries today but failing to push on – much as happened to many of the other Lancashire batsmen. Stephen Moore and Ashwell Prince both looked in control and had made half‑ centuries before chancing their arms against Imran Tahir's wrist-spin, while Steven Croft stretched his record of passing 50 without reaching 100 to six out of his seven championship innings this season. His was the quickest of the three half‑centuries, taking 75 balls and including 10 boundaries, in a well‑organised innings full of twitches and mannerisms, plus punched drives square of the wicket. He will start tomorrow needing 25 for his second century in five years of first-class cricket.