James Anderson Surrey move confirmed: the 44-year-old has signed for the Kia Oval club ahead of the 2027 Rothesay County Championship, extending a first-class career that began with Lancashire in 2002. His boyhood county declined to renew his contract in October, ending a stay of more than 25 years.
James Anderson Surrey move ends long Lancashire stay
Anderson said the Lancashire decision left him "sad" and "quite shocked", and made him question whether there was something "fundamentally wrong with me as a person". He had captained the county in 2026, a season in which Lancashire finished second bottom of Division Two, ahead of only Gloucestershire.
His exit came as the Old Trafford hierarchy, including new director of cricket Paul Farbrace, set about building an attack for the future after a poor few seasons in red-ball cricket. Anderson, who turns 45 in July, will now bowl his county cricket in south London rather than the north west.
"It's an honour to join a club like Surrey and I can't wait to start a new chapter in my career.
"I still feel like I have a lot to offer, taking wickets, trying to help the team win games of cricket.
"I also think that I can bring a lot to the team off the field and help those young players who are looking to develop their skillset and go on and represent their country."
Fifty championship wickets at 17.68 in 2026
Anderson took 50 wickets at an average of 17.68 in County Championship Division Two for Lancashire in 2026. Surrey's director of men's cricket, Alec Stewart, said that return showed the bowler remains among the best in the country and that his experience would serve a squad with international ambitions.
"We're delighted to bring someone of the calibre of Sir James Anderson to Surrey.
"Jimmy brings quality with the ball. His 50 championship wickets last season prove that he is still one of the best bowlers in the country.
"Much of our squad have international aspirations, and they will learn a great deal from training, playing and being in the same dressing room with Jimmy."
Surrey's County Championship record
Surrey have won the County Championship 22 times, including three consecutive titles from 2022 to 2024. They were runners-up in 2025 and finished seventh in a disappointing 2026 campaign, leaving room for a reinforced bowling attack in 2027.
Test record and what comes next
Anderson took 704 wickets in 188 Tests at an average of 26.45, the most by any pace bowler. Only Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Australia's Shane Warne (708) have taken more. England forced him into international retirement in 2024, and he signed off with four wickets in his final Test against West Indies at Lord's.
He arrives at Surrey with 1,193 first-class wickets to add to, and a CV that includes four Ashes series wins and the 2010 T20 World Cup. Before the 2027 county season he is set to play in the Italia T10 for Napoli Knights later this month.
The original report was published by skysports.com.
