Five-star James Anderson back in swing

London: James Anderson did his best to put a disappointing Ashes tour of Australia behind him by enjoying yet more success at Trent Bridge as he took five wickets on the first day of the 2014 County Championship season.

England seamer Anderson, who has taken 49 wickets in seven Tests at Trent Bridge, including sealing a nailbiting victory against Australia during last year`s Ashes opener, took five for 54 for Lancashire as they held Nottinghamshire to 270 for nine. Samit Patel, looking to revive his England career, made 93 in this First Division fixture while England Twenty20 specialist Alex Hales contributed 61 before becoming Anderson`s fifth wicket of the day. For so long the spearhead of England`s attack, Anderson often looked jaded in Australia during the course of a 5-0 Ashes thrashing where his 14 wickets came at an expensive cost of nearly 44 runs apiece. However, the 31-year-old was back in his element on a Trent Bridge ground renowned for helping swing bowlers. After the Ashes debacle, few England players can take their Test places for granted and for both them and, those on the fringes of the national side, good early season performances could help sway a new-look selection panel ahead of the home series with Sri Lanka in June. England wicketkeeper Matt Prior, dropped for the final two Ashes Tests, was 32 not out in a Sussex total of 86 for three when bad light halted play against Middlesex at Hove. Earlier, Middlesex batsman Eoin Morgan -- looking to revive his Test career was out for a first-ball duck while Australia-born Sam Robson, yet to play full international cricket but eyeing an England spot, only managed four in the visitors` meagre total of 105 all out. Morgan fell to Jon Lewis -- whose lone Test appearance was against Sri Lanka in 2006 -- as the veteran seamer took four for 34. Meanwhile Ashes opener Michael Carberry made a six-ball nought, lbw to Chris Russell, as Hampshire struggled to 37 for three on a rain-marred first day of their Second Division clash against Worcestershire at the Ageas Bowl.