Anderson ‘distraught’ after copping injury setback

England seamer Stuart Broad says teammate James Anderson is "distraught" after re-injuring his right calf inside the opening hour of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. 

At the end of his fourth over and the seventh of match, Anderson left the field feeling tightness in the same calf he tore playing for Lancashire a month ago. 

That injury kept him out of last week's Test against Ireland but he was deemed fit to play in Birmingham after passing a series of fitness tests in the lead-up to Thursday. 

The 37-year-old went immediately for scans but the results are yet to be revealed. 

Despite losing the most prolific fast bowler in Test history, England's quicks reduced Australia to 8-122 in 44 overs before Steve Smith led a rescue mission with Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon to post 284 in fading light. 

It was when Smith started to motor once he passed triple figures that England really felt the absence of Anderson, with Broad (5-86 from 22.4 overs), Chris Woakes (3-58 from 21) and Ben Stokes (1-77 from 19) forced share the veteran's workload. 

Broad, who took his 100th Ashes wicket when he bowled Smith, said Anderson was understandably downbeat after the injury on a day where England relinquished the momentum to see honours close to even after an enthralling day of Ashes cricket. 

"He is down, he's frustrated," Broad said when asked about Anderson. 

"He actually came and said sorry to all the bowlers. Not that he's got anything to be sorry for, but he's just – he's distraught he couldn't be out there today.  

"I don't know the next step with it. It (the scans) could show not much and he'll bowl in the second innings or it could show something and it might be a couple of weeks.  

"Until we get the scan results back, I don't suppose there's too much to say other than he's a bit down in the dumps as you'd expect.  

"He feels like he's let the bowling group down, but of course he hasn't." 

With Anderson off the field and the Dukes ball softened, Smith and the Australians capitalised. 

Smith and Peter Siddle put on 88 for the ninth wicket, with the Victorian making a defiant 41, before Smith and Lyon (12 not out) added 74 in 80 balls. 

While an England side with a bowler down, particularly one of Anderson's ability, gives Australia an advantage, Smith said he'd rather face a full-strength attack in an Ashes battle. 

"You don't want to see people go down and you want to go up against the best," Smith said.  

"Fortunately for England they've got someone like Ben Stokes who's able to come in and bowl his overs. He did a pretty good job as well.  

"But it's always tough. I know as a team when you lose one of your strike bowlers and someone as good as Jimmy, particularly in those conditions so early in the game.  

"It's always hard to manage your bowlers from there, but I thought Joe did a pretty good job of that." 

2019 Qantas Ashes Tour of England

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

England squad: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes (vc), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

First Test: August 1-5,Edgbaston

Tour match: Australians v Worcestershire, August 7-9

Second Test: August 14-18,Lord's

Third Test: August 22-26, Headingley

Tour match: Australians v Derbyshire, August 29-31

Fourth Test: September 4-8, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: September 12-16, The Oval