JAMES Anderson couldn't have timed his reminder to the England selectors more perfectly.

After a nice lazy winter without much cricket on tour Jimmy, who was probably hugely frustrated by his inactivity, produced a telling performance when it mattered.

He was probably just relieved to get the chance to do some bowling for Lancashire in their County Championship win over Worcestershire at Old Trafford.

Jimmy will have just felt if he could get a couple of wickets that would have set him up, but to get 10 in the game was a great way of reminding the England selectors just what he can do.

This winter will have been hard for him as he was laid low by a couple of niggly injuries. Then when he was fit again other bowlers had staked their claim for a place in the England side.

he has had to sit and watch and that has meant not too much time out in the middle and, obviously, not many wickets to show for it.

So to have him produce victims for Lancashire on the eve of the Test series against New Zealand was just about as good as it gets - Jimmy will be as happy as Larry.

While Jimmy has his place in the England squad, it would have been good if Lancashire spinner Gary Keedy could have had a call-up as well.

Keeds really can't be that far away with his form this season, and his performances over recent seasons.

To get nine wickets in the Worcestershire game shows how strong his form is and Keeds is a good player to work with because he just gets his head down and gets on with it.

The win over Worcester was gratifying in that again different players have popped up with match-winning performances for Lancashire.

We have had a number of strong batting performances and now, following on from Dominic Cork's early season wickets and Kyle Hogg's good display of last week, we have the bowlers sharing the work and wickets around.

Lancashire are looking so much stronger this year as there is now a squad in place that allows players to get a break.

Where in the past a couple of injuries would have seen the team down to the bare bones, Mike Watkinson now has the opportunity to rotate his squad and ensure that no one can claim that they are jaded because they have been overworked.

Everyone should be fit and really fired up and, with the competition for places in the side, producing their best for the team.

And now we are on top of the Championship table the job is purely to stay there - though it will take plenty of hard work to achieve that.