Mixed feelings for legend Anderson as he prepares for his final England bow

IT IS HARD to believe James Anderson when he says he has "made peace" with the decision by England's management that the Test against West Indies this week will be his 188th and last.

- Cameron Ponsonby

With one sentence, he "completely understands the decision", and with the next, he comments on how he feels he is "bowling as well as ever" and that all he is currently focusing on for the week ahead is playing well, bowling well and getting a win. "I'm sure the emotions during the week will change," Anderson said to the press at Lord's yesterday. "But right now that's what I'm trying to focus on to stop myself crying."

Anderson's suspension of belief that this is the end is wholly understandable. The changing of the guard is a seismic moment in English cricket. For millions, he has been an ever-present in our living rooms for the past 21 summers. And if you had tuned in to his Test debut in 2003, you still had another six months to wait before Jonny Wilkinson dropped for glory and won England the Rugby World Cup.

A giant of the sport, he is the only pace bowler in history to take 700 Test wickets, a milestone that he reached in his most recent appearance in Dharamsala, and he is second in the all-time list of Test appearances, behind only India legend Sachin Tendulkar on 200.