England suffer major blow as hurt Anderson ruled out of second Test

James Anderson has been ruled out of the second Ashes Test, with England uncertain when he will be fit to return after injuring his right calf.

England’s record wicket-taker broke down after just four overs in the series opener at Edgbaston and did not bowl again as Australia romped to a 251-run victory.

Scans have confirmed he has no chance of taking part in next week’s game at Lord’s, the second of the five-match series, with assessment taking place “on an ongoing basis”.

Anderson’s absence is a huge blow for England, whose deflating defeat in Birmingham came just three weeks after they won the World Cup.

After pulling up injured on the first morning in Birmingham, Anderson, 37, was restricted to two batting cameos at number 11.

The veteran, who has taken 575 Test wickets, had not played competitive cricket for a month leading into the match after injuring the same calf playing for Lancashire.

“The MRI confirmed that Anderson has suffered a calf injury,” said a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board on Tuesday.

“As a result of the injury, he will commence a rehabilitation programme working with the England and Lancashire medical teams.

“Anderson will miss the second Test match, which starts at Lord’s on Wednesday, Aug.14. He will be reassessed on an ongoing basis.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan does not expect to see Anderson on duty again until the fourth Test at the earliest and warned his absence could have a big impact in both dressing rooms.

“My concern is you don’t underestimate the psychological effect of Jimmy Anderson has on the England team, but also the positive effect it sends through the Australia team,” he said.

“For them to arrive next week and the week after to know they won’t be facing Jimmy... that is monstrous.”

Meanwhile, 24-year-old Jofra Archer may have indeed boosted his bid to prove his fitness for the second Test against Australia as the England pace bowler took six wickets and scored a century in Sussex’s Second XI’s clash with Gloucestershire on Tuesday.

Archer missed England’s first Test defeat against Australia at Edgbaston after struggling to completely recover from injury in time for the opening of the Ashes series.

Archer was England’s leading wicket-taker with 20 during their historic first World Cup triumph in July, but he required painkillers to deal with a side strain in the tournament.

With James Anderson sidelined by a calf injury, Barbados-born Archer could be in line to make his Test debut at Lord’s next week as England look to bounce back from their 251-run defeat against Australia in Birmingham.

Archer’s latest attempt to show he is fully fit came at the Blackstone Academy Ground in Sussex, four days after he played for the county’s first team in their T20 Blast victory over Kent.

He took 6-27 and bowled four maidens in his 12.1-over spell against Gloucestershire’s reserves.

Then, batting at number six, Archer came to the crease with Sussex 52-4, blasting 12 fours and four sixes to make 108 from just 99 balls.

Meanwhile, Jonny Bairstow has been given a vote of confidence by England coach Trevor Bayliss.

Bairstow played a vital role in England’s World Cup success, but has become a less consistent contributor in Test matches.

He was dismissed for eight and six as Australia won the Ashes opener, having bagged a pair of ducks against Ireland a week earlier.

That sequence of low scores lowered his average to 22.91 since the start of last summer, well below his career mark of 35.70.

Asked if he was concerned about the wicketkeeper-batsman’s position ahead of the second Test, Bayliss said: “I wouldn’t have thought so. He’s got a bit in the bank, Jonny.

“We know what a class player he is and he’s at his best when he’s got a point to prove. He usually finds a way to motivate himself.

“When he’s got a point to prove that’s usually when he’s at the top of his game.”

England’s defeat at Edgbaston means they face an uphill battle to wrestle the Ashes back from Australia, who have not won a Test series in England since 2001.

The home side have a number of issues to address aside from Anderson’s absence, needing to shore up their batting and find a chink in the armour of Steve Smith, who made two centuries in the match.

Agence France-Presse