AFTER disappointing results against India and in the final group match against Australia, England were left with a waiting game.

Zimbabwe had to lose their clash with Pakistan. Rain was no use to England as that meant the points would be shared and Zimbabwe would go through to the Super Sixes.

But the clouds gathered in Bulawayo and the showers descended. And after several hours of putting covers on, taking them off, then putting them back on again, after a brief spell of the Pakistan innings, arrangements were made for James Anderson and the rest of the England squad to fly home from Johannesburg two days later.

"Zimbabwe shouldn't have gone through," Anderson said.

"But at the same time, if you're going to have a spare day for rain in the group stages of the World Cup, it could drag on a bit.

"It's a difficult one to call. I guess we would say we needed the spare days!

"I just felt for our fans in the Australia game because there were so many of them packed into the stadium and again they were amazing, so defeat hurt that bit more.

"We should have won when we had those eight wickets down. So I think it was more a case of us losing the game rather than them winning it."

But, now back home in Burnley, Anderson prefers to dwell on the happier times of his World Cup experience.

"Andy Caddick helped me a lot," the 20-year-old said.

"He's experienced, usually keeps things tight, and you can almost rely on him to bowl well.

"That meant I could just get on with my own style and not worry too much about keeping the runs down when he was at the other end.

"They encouraged me to keep attacking and try to swing the ball. And they set an attacking field for me, which gave me more confidence because it showed that Nasser Hussain had confidence in me."

Now Anderson must turn his attentions away from the world stage to answer the call of the Red Rose County.

And he believes Lancashire have got an excellent chance of challenging for honours in the County Championships in the forthcoming season as he prepares to team up once more with fellow bowler Andy Flintoff.

"We've signed Ian Sutcliffe from Leicester and Mal Loye from Northants, who are both batters.

"We've also signed three local lads and one from Australia who has English parents, then there's Kyle Hogg and myself who have benefited from our spell in the Academy.

"Plus we've got overseas players Stuart Law and Harbajhan Singh, so with that in mind we should do well."

Anderson admitted there was nothing like pulling on the England shirt and striding out to represent your country.

"I know it's a cliche but putting the Three Lions on is an amazing feeling," he explained.

But whether Anderson is facing Sachin Tendulkar in the World Cup, or a Marcus Trescothick in the County Championships, he makes sure he never forgets his Lancashire League roots.

"There are things I learned playing in the Lancashire League that still help me today.

"It's slightly different and I get a little bit more nervous when I'm bowling against the likes of Tendulkar than a Lancashire League batsman.

"But one of the things that has helped me at this level is, when I'm bowling, I'm not thinking that I'm bowling to the best batsman in the world," he said.

"I just thinking that he is another right-handed batter and, if I bowl well enough, I can get anyone in the world out.

"I can't afford to get star struck."