England's James Anderson has enjoyed an early mini-victory in Ashes year, as he got rid of Australia's Marnus Labuschagne swiftly in his first county appearance of the summer.
England's record Test wicket-taker Anderson was making a belated start to his 22nd season with Lancashire on Thursday following a calf injury - and he made sure he left his mark on Labuschagne, who has just arrived for his second overseas stint with Glamorgan.
Anderson dismissed him for just 12 with a wonderful delivery - a pinch of swing, a hint of seam and the undeniable clip of an outside edge - and went on to finish with predictably spotless figures of 1-22 from 13 overs.
Glamorgan, meanwhile, finished 3-117 in a rain-shortened first day of their County Championship clash at Old Trafford.
Labuschagne is currently ranked as the third best Test batsman in the world by the International Cricket Council and Anderson sits fourth among bowlers, but the pair have never before gone head-to-head.
Anderson was ruled out of the 2019 Ashes after pulling up injured on the very first morning, with Labuschagne not appearing until the second match as a concussion replacement for Steve Smith.
He went on to average over 50 in the series as the tourists retained and has scarcely looked back since.
The much-anticipated meeting was telegraphed when visiting captain Chris Cooke won the toss and chose to bat first but it was not until just after lunch that they came together in the middle.
Bowling towards the James Anderson End, rather than from it, the 38-year-old needed just five deliveries to see off Labuschagne.
It was a fittingly devilish ball, pitched in an awkward no-man's land just back of a length, shaping through the air and nipping slightly away again off the pitch.
Labuschagne, fresh from a prolific Sheffield Shield with Queensland, could do nothing but offer his outside edge to wicketkeeper Dane Vilas.
He was gone for 12, blowing chewing gum bubbles as he left as Anderson chalked off one of the 11 scalps he needed to take his first-class tally to the magical 1000 mark.
Labuschagne was kept quiet, needing 24 balls to get off the mark, but hit Danny Lamb's last two balls of the session for four.
Anderson was waiting for him after the break, drawing an uneasy squirt to backward point and a hasty defence to one that kept low before finishing his opponent off with the first ball of his second over.
Australian Associated Press
