James Anderson tore through the Nottinghamshire batting line-up with seven wickets on Tuesday, just eight days before his Test farewell at Lord's for England.

The 41-year-old is set to call time on his storied red-ball career after the first clash with West Indies, which starts next Wednesday, but offered a timely reminder of his qualities in Southport.

Appearing in the County Championship Division One fixture, Anderson ripped through Nottinghamshire with a remarkable 7-35 as the visitors were bowled all out for just 126 in their first innings.

Anderson went wicketless in the second innings after the follow-on was enforced, though the opening bowler could be forgiven for his mind being elsewhere.

The Lancashire veteran will end his international playing career at Lord's in the first of a three-Test series against the Windies before moving into a coaching role for the final two matches.

Anderson has taken 700 Test wickets, the most of any fast bowler in the history of the format, and will offer incomparable experience to England's youthful bowling attack.

"He's got so much to offer English cricket. We don't want to see that go," England's managing director Rob Key said on Monday after Anderson's coaching appointment was confirmed.

"When we asked him, he was keen. He is going to have a lot of options. English cricket would be very lucky if he chooses to stay in the game."

As for Anderson's availability for Lancashire, who are still 143 runs ahead of Nottinghamshire, Key says that will be decided in time.

"What he does with Lancashire will probably work out after the Lord’s Test," added Key.

"We've got some conversations to have after to find out what he thinks is the best thing to do. Everything so far has been him gearing up for this Test match."

Former England captain Andrew Flintoff is "lucky to be alive", according to his son, after he was involved in a car crash on Tuesday.

The former all-rounder, who presents the BBC television show 'Top Gear', was filming a sequence for the programme when the incident took place at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey.

The severity of Flintoff's condition was not officially disclosed, with the ex-Lancashire player treated by medics at the scene before he was subsequently airlifted to hospital.

Subsequent reports suggested his injuries were not life-threatening, and now his son Corey has revealed further information.

"He's OK," he told the Daily Mail. "I'm not too sure what happened, but he is lucky to be alive.

"It was a pretty nasty crash. It is shocking. We are all shocked but just hope he's going to be OK."

Flintoff was previously involved in a crash in 2019 when filming the show, having joined the presenting team as part of the series' fourth-generation lineup that same year.

Between 1998 and 2009, he made 79 Test, 141 ODI and seven T20I appearances for England, and famously helped them to a first Ashes victory since 1987 during the 2005 series.

England captain Joe Root brought a commendable act of sportsmanship to one of English sport's oldest rivalries on Saturday – although plenty of Yorkshire fans might feel he let Lancashire all-rounder Steven Croft off lightly.

Chasing a meagre 128-7 to win in the T20 Blast Roses match at Old Trafford – Root having top scored with 32 for the visitors – Lancashire slumped to 64-5 in the eighth over.

Croft (26 not out) and Luke Wells (30) embarked upon a rebuilding job that left Dane Villas' side needing 18 from 15 deliveries, at which point Croft collapsed to the ground mid-pitch when trying to run quick single.

The batsman howled in pain and, under instruction from stand-in captain Root, Yorkshire opted not to run him out. After treatment for cramp, Croft was still in the middle when Danny Lamb hit the winning runs and Lancashire secured a quarter-final berth by four wickets.

"As a side we made a very difficult decision under pressure," Root said, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

"It looked very serious at first glance. In many ways it was a relief it was nothing serious. I am sure there will be many different opinions. Many people would have handled it differently."

Afterwards, Croft paid tribute to the England skipper and his team-mates, suggesting he'd have been able to have few complaints had he been run out.

"Two games in two days at 36 and a bit of sun has done me," he told Sky Sports. "I put the brakes on, they worked, and my legs just cramped up.

"I didn't know where the ball had gone. They could have taken the bails off and credit to them that they didn't."