Anderson leaves field with side issue

Former England coach David Lloyd fears James Anderson could miss the remainder of the Ashes after the spearhead left the field midway through the final session of day two at Edgbaston.

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Anderson pulled up after bowling a hooping inswinger to Mitchell Johnson with the 15th ball of his second spell of the day from the Pavilion End, clutching his rib cage on the left side of his torso.

Anderson leaves the field (Aus only)

The right-armer attempted to bowl the next ball but withdrew halfway through his run up, immediately collecting his cap from the umpire and walking off the field to a standing ovation from the packed Birmingham crowd.

“Jimmy Anderson’s off the field, out of the Test match, I would say out of the next Test match,” Lloyd said on Channel Nine’s Wide World of Sports coverage.

“Shocking injuries for the quicker bowlers in that rib cage – the muscle in that rib cage.

“He walked off, Anderson, (and) I don’t think we’ll see him again this series.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board later tweeted that Anderson has a tight side and will continue to be reassessed.

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Anderson makes his exit // Getty Images 

England and Sussex fast bowler Chris Jordan suffered an intercostal injury six weeks ago and is yet to return to playing duties, the same injury Anderson is thought to have suffered. 

Anderson was the star of day one, dismantling the visitors with 6-47 in stunning fashion, including a rampant spell of 4-7 in 19 balls.

The 33-year-old, who is celebrating his birthday today, is England’s leading Test wicket-taker with 413 wickets in 107 matches in a career spanning a dozen years.

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Anderson enters the pavilion // Getty Images

England quick Mark Wood was battling an ankle injury prior to the third Test and was replaced by Steve Finn for the Edgbaston encounter, with Finn enjoying a sensational return to the five-day game after a two-year absence.

If Wood is fit, he’ll likely return to replace Anderson for the fourth Test which starts in one week at Trent Bridge.

The blow would be a potentially huge one for England, considering Anderson’s outstanding record in Nottingham of 53 wickets in eight Tests at an average of 19.

"Jimmy loves bowling at Trent Bridge, everyone knows that," Finn said after play on day two. 

"He’s a huge player for us. He’s the leader of our attack. 

"He set the tone with everything he does and we’ve seen even when the ball was flying around a bit today he controlled the run rate, and the way he bowled in the first innings speaks for itself. 

"If he was to miss it, it would be a big loss, but we don’t what’s going to happen yet."

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