LANCASHIRE and England seamer James Anderson is hoping that 2008 will be a landmark year in his career.

The 25-year-old Burnley paceman jets out to New Zealand later this month to take on the Kiwis in three Tests and five one-day internationals.

But with a new captain at the helm at Old Trafford, in the shape of Stuart Law, and home series' against New Zealand and South Africa coming up in the summer, Anderson is aiming to make this season his most successful yet.

Last season, Lancashire came within a mere 24 runs of winning the coveted County Championship title after falling short in their bid to chase a mammoth 488 to beat Surrey at The Oval and end the 74-year wait to lift English cricket's biggest domestic prize.

But with Mark Chilton stepping aside at the end of the campaign, Anderson is hopeful that Law can emulate his success as captain of Queensland and deliver the title to Old Trafford.

He said: "He's very much respected in this team. As a captain you need respect and I think he's got that. He's got experience of being a captain, he's won things with Queensland, and hopefully he can bring that experience and help us one step closer to the Championship.

"It's what we've been striving for. I've only been here five years but it's something we've been striving for in the last 70 years.

"It has always been the main aim of our team to win the Championship. We look to do as well as we can in the one-day trophies and the Twenty20 trophy but the Championship is the one we all want. It's the one trophy you want to win.

"Stuey will have his own ideas and have his own approach to captaining the side. I think he will bring a fresh outlook and hopefully he will give us that something extra to get over the line.

"I think Australians and Australian captains are known to be a little bit more attacking. If you look at Shane Warne's fields down at Hampshire, they're a little bit different. He's always trying that little bit extra to get the wickets as quick as he can. I've never seen him captain but I think he'll be good.

"I don't know why we haven't won it for such a long time, It's something you can't really put your finger on. If you look at our squad on paper, we should be beating anyone out there but it's a bit different once you get onto the field."

Lancashire kick off the County Championship season with a trip to Surrey, the scene of Lancashire's final day nightmare, on April 16.

And, injuries permitting, the Lancashire team should include the likes of Anderson, Saj Mahmood and one Andrew Flintoff.

The all-rounder is still recovering from ankle surgery that has kept him out of action since September.

But Anderson said that his Lancashire and England team-mate was on the road to recovery and was nearing a return to action.

He added: "I saw Fred over Christmas and he's training his socks off to get fit for the season. It can only benefit him and Lancashire by playing cricket again.

"He's seen so many specialists about his ankle. I think he's pretty confident that he's solved the problem but there's only one way that he'll definitely find that out and that's when he starts playing. Once he's fit and strong we'll see how he goes but he's pretty positive that he's going to come back stronger.

"In the past, he's maybe been rushed back a little bit and it might take a little bit more time but that's up to him and the physios.

"If he does take that extra time, it can only benefit Lancashire.

"Come the start of the season, depending on fitness, we should have a full strength squad to choose from. That can only be a benefit and it's probably not something we've had for a few years.

"With me being centrally contracted with the ECB, but depending on how much I'm involved in the Test series in New Zealand, I'm hoping to start the season with Lancashire and hopefully Fred (Flintoff) will be fit again and he can start the season with us and get us off to a flyer."

And on his own game, Anderson was hoping to play a major part in England's programme to put himself in line for a place in the 2009 Ashes side.

Under new coach Peter Moores, England's results haven't been as good as the country would have hoped, with back-to-back series defeats against India and Sri Lanka.

But Anderson believes the introduction of Moores had been a good thing for the side.

He said: "I think it's been a good change for the team. It was nice to have a few new faces on the management and some fresh ideas. Maybe we were getting a little bit stale.

"I think that I've improved as a player. During the India series, I thought that I was starting to show the kind of form I have in the past. I got the ball swinging again and my one-day form has been pretty good.

"As a management unit they are very thorough. They look at all angles of the game to give us the best chance of improving and the best chance of winning games."

And Anderson was particularly happy about Moores insistence on players being made more readily available to their counties - the exact opposite of the situation under Duncan Fletcher.

"It's frustrating going up and down the country but it's much better than missing a full game. It helped me because getting cricket under my belt is what I needed and that's what I got."