Last Updated: June 25, 2023, 4:04 PM IST
London, United Kingdom (UK)
Jimmy Anderson and Nathan Lyon at the MLB match in London (Screengrab)
Their Ashes rivalry aside, England’s Jimmy Anderson and Australia’s Nathan Lyon threw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Major League Baseball clash between Chicago Cubs and St Louis Cardinals
Jimmy Anderson and Nathan Lyon threw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of a Major League Baseball clash in London on Sunday.
Englishman Anderson was seen wearing Chicago Cubs colours as Aussie Lyon sported St Louis Cardinals attire.
WATCH:
Anderson said he believes cricket can learn a lot from baseball, especially when it comes to more aggressive hitting.
“I think you see the way cricket has developed, the way guys try to hit the ball, I think they take a lot from the guys here,” he said.
“I don’t know how much knowledge there is about cricket in America, I don’t think the baseball players are trying to block anything, but for me I’ve always watched the fielding and thought it was something we could do better.
“The speed they get to the ball, the speed they release the ball and the speed of the throw. I know it’s a different ball but I think it’s something we could learn from.”
ALSO WATCH | India Legends Celebrate 40th Anniversary of 1983 World Cup Triumph ‘35,000 Feet up in The Air’
The MLB match at London Stadium are part of a two-game weekend series. Cubs beat the Cardinals 9-1 on Sunday. Earlier, Commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed that the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies will play a two-game series next June in London. London is “a great place to gain a foothold into Europe,” Manfred told AP.
Last Wednesday, Lyon was at the crease with the bat in hand as Australian captain Pat Cummins hit the winning runs in their thrilling two-wicket win over England in the first Test of the Ashes series at Edgbaston. The second match of the five-test series is in London at the iconic Lord’s.
Anderson promised England will come back stronger after the loss.
“I think we’ll go more positive, more aggressive, more entertaining. We want to try and make sure people go home happy as they did each day at Edgbaston,” Anderson said.
“Just because we’re 1-0 down I don’t think we’ll try anything different. I think we showed enough last week to show we can win the next four if we keep playing like that and iron a few things out. We’ll go exactly the same,” he added.
