Yesterday right arm pace bowler and Lancashire and England star James Anderson took an impressive six wickets for 44 runs in Lancashire’s LV County Championship match against Essex, signalling his return to both form and fitness after a knee injury.

Sporting Fare takes a look at one of the most promising young cricketers to ever break through to the England squad and tries to decide if he has fulfilled the potential he showed from the start.

Potential fulfilled?

James “Jimmy” Anderson was born in Burnley in 1982. At the age of 20 he made his first class debut for Lancashire and, following 50 wickets in just 13 matches, won the NBC Denis Compton Award for most promising young county player.

The award was quickly followed by a call up to the international side, making his One Day International (ODI) debut after just five domestic games. He went on to feature in England’s ICC World Cup team in 2003 and made his Test debut against Zimbabwe at Lords in 2004 – taking 5 wickets. This was quickly followed by success in ODIs against South Africa, Zimbabwe and, in particular, Pakistan, during which he took a hat trick.

The following Test Series against South Africa was not so special for Anderson and he came out of it, despite being England’s leading wicket taker, with his reputation damaged. Nevertheless, he was unanimously voted Young Cricketer of the Year and was awarded an ECB central contract.

The meteoric rise, however, was cut short by a knee injury and tiredness and he was rested by England. This allowed other bowlers to overtake him and despite still being picked for the England sides actual appearances were few and far between. And when he was called upon he generally failed to perform. His form was shot.

I remember being bitterly disappointed, as it seemed that Anderson really was going to fail to fulfil his early potential. His talent and class were there for all to see and his image – sharp clothes, good looks and ever changing hair colour – made him one of sport’s ‘superstars’, akin and often likened to David Beckham. There didn’t seem to be a limit to what he could achieve in cricket.

But it was all going wrong for the Burnley man. Then, in 2006, he suffered a stress fracture of the back that kept him out for most of that season, playing only two games for Lancashire and nothing for England until September, when he was included in the Ashes squad to face Australia. He, like the rest of the team, was shocking.

Still, he was selected for the 2007 World Cup and it was there, despite a finger break scare, that his career began to get back on track. The replacement of Duncan Fletcher as England coach by Peter Moores was seen as a new beginning for Anderson and some of his England colleagues as well.

He gradually began to rebuild his reputation with good performances against India and New Zealand, though a shocker against Sri Lanka in between didn’t help him. He became only the second bowler ever to have six boundaries hit off a single over.

Against South Africa, during which he took his 100th Test wicket, his batting was also on the up and he scored a Test best 34, coming in as night watchman.

2009 began with a humiliating Test Series defeat to the West Indies and a scrappy ODI series which England won, during which Anderson’s figures were average at best. Brighter things were to come though with the England regaining the Ashes against Australia.

Anderson enjoyed a last wicket stand with Monty Panesar in the first Test, facing 69 balls to keep the Series level with a draw. He remained an integral, if not the stand out, member of the team through the rest of the Ashes.

And now here we are, with Anderson starting the domestic season in good form. It’s fair to say that the 20 year old who broke into international cricket before his domestic career had barely begun has had his ups and downs, but has he fulfilled that early potential?

Sadly not. On his day, James Anderson is a joy to watch but like so many sporting ‘child’ stars, he hasn’t gone on to become one of the very best in the world on a consistent basis. And it is consistency that truly marks the greats from the goods.

Still, we’ll continue to watch him play for club and country and hope that he takes many more wickets yet.