Anderson ready to take centre stage

Watch the pre-Ashes interview James Anderson did with ECBtv in full in the player above

James Anderson has got his "own expectations" for the 2009 Ashes after being a fringe player in recent series

James Anderson has earned his chance to lead England's attack in the Ashes after enduring more than his fair share of disappointments in the journey to this summer's series.

The 26-year-old Lancashire swing bowler has been on the fringe of England's Ashes considerations for the last two series but failed to establish himself in the side for either contest.

Until recently, Australia's most vivid memories of Anderson would have been seeing him continually bowling at one stump in the middle during Test match intervals.

In the series in England four years ago and in Australia in 2006-07, Anderson played only three Tests despite regularly featuring in squads during that period.

But, having more than served his apprenticeship, Anderson has finally made the breakthrough and it will now be a major surprise if captain Andrew Strauss does not throw him the new ball for the opening npower Test in Cardiff on July 8.

“I've got my own expectations,” said Anderson. “I know what I can achieve in the Ashes, I know how big a part I can play and how important I am to this group of lads here - I'll just be hoping to meet my expectations.”

His opportunity follows a stunning start to the summer after claiming 22 wickets in only three first-class outings, including nine wickets during his man-of-the-match display in the final Test against West Indies at Chester-le-Street.

His performance on that May afternoon convinced even the most sceptical of judges that Anderson had finally developed into a world-class performer capable of troubling Australia's top batsmen.

Referring to his previous Ashes experiences, Anderson said: “I've tried to put that period behind me to be honest. I didn't enjoy any of it and being 12th man on tour is not a great job, so doing it series after series wasn't great.

“Everyone has to go through it at some stage in their career - it was just a bit longer than I thought it would be for me. That's in the past now, I am enjoying where I am, what I am doing and looking forward to the future.

“There was always some part of me that thought, if I worked as hard as I had been doing, then surely at some point my chance would come again.”

Team-mate Graeme Swann says Anderson's display against West Indies "was as good as it gets bowling-wise"

The great strides Anderson has made as an international bowler have come since he reverted to his original action, which was changed by England over the last five years because of fears over the damage his unusual delivery might do to his body.

It has allowed him to return to the swing and pace he achieved during his early years with Lancashire and could prove a key weapon in the battle to regain the Ashes.

“Personally, I think he's bowling better than he's ever done,” said England off-spinner Graeme Swann. “When he was bowling on that final day at Durham I said to Paul Collingwood that it was as good as it gets bowling wise.

“He was bowling it at 90mph, swinging it both ways at will and always getting it into the right place. When he was bowling, certainly towards the end, there was a formality that he was going to get a wicket almost every ball.

“That's very rare in cricket, especially in Test cricket, even at tail-enders so, if he can carry on bowling like that, the sky's the limit for him because the skill level he has now is exceptional.”

Even seasoned cricket judges like former England captain Graham Gooch have revised their opinions of Anderson, who was once regarded as too inconsistent and was even overlooked at the start of this year for the first Test against West Indies in Jamaica.

“He's added a bit of variation to his game,” said Gooch. “To me he's always been a bowler that can take wickets but the key has been his consistency and whether he can produce every game.”

It is a criticism Anderson accepts, but one he believes he has now answered as he attempts to follow England's 2005 vintage into Ashes history.

“My skills have always been there - I have always been able to swing it both ways and reverse swing it both ways,” he said. “It's been more to do with consistency in my line and length, which has improved.

“So, in the past, when it was swinging, I wasted quite a few balls whereas now I feel I am asking questions with pretty much every ball I bowl.”