James Anderson, England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker, has expressed confidence in Lancashire's ability to reverse their fortunes this season. Despite a challenging start in Division Two of the Championship, Anderson believes that maintaining a positive approach will be key to securing victories.

A New Role for Anderson

Anderson recently took on the role of captain for Lancashire in the Championship game against Kent in Blackpool. Although the match ended in a draw, Anderson was pleased with the team's proactive approach. "The positive approach we had, if we keep that and keep playing well, we have the quality in the group to win some games," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

Season Struggles

Lancashire has had a tough season so far, with no wins from eight games, placing them sixth in Division Two. The team has faced significant changes, including the resignation of captain Keaton Jennings and the sacking of head coach Dale Benkenstein. Steven Croft has stepped in as the interim head coach, and Australian batter Marcus Harris was appointed as the red-ball skipper. However, with Harris on paternity leave, Anderson has taken over the captaincy for the games against Kent and Derbyshire.

A Glimmer of Hope

Despite the struggles, Lancashire showed signs of improvement in their match against Kent. The team posted their highest score in a decade, declaring at 639-9, with Luke Wells, Josh Bohannon, and Ashton Turner all scoring centuries. Lancashire had Kent in trouble at 116-7 in their second innings, but a resilient partnership of 182 between Joey Evison and Grant Stewart saved the game for Kent.

Anderson's Leadership Experience

This match marked Anderson's first experience as a captain, despite his extensive career of 188 Tests and over 20 years of first-class cricket. Anderson admitted that the role brought new challenges. "Day one, the concentration levels weren't quite there when I was bowling," he said. "I was thinking about other stuff rather than where I was bowling the ball, so it took a little while to get used to that."

Anderson also noted the increased pressure that comes with making decisions as captain. "Even when I've played and not been captain, I've always thought about the game and tried to help captains out on the field. But obviously when the decisions are yours, you feel under that little bit more pressure," he explained. However, he quickly adapted to the role and found it enjoyable.

Looking Ahead

As Lancashire prepares for their next Championship match against Derbyshire in Chesterfield, Anderson remains hopeful. "The way we applied ourselves this week felt different to the rest of the season," he said. "We had a lot of positive energy in the field and then the way we applied ourselves with the bat - we dug in when needed and when the opportunity was there to put the pressure on the opposition, we did that."

With Anderson's leadership and the team's renewed focus, Lancashire aims to turn their season around and climb the Division Two standings.