James Anderson wicketless on day one of Lancashire return versus Gloucestershire

James Anderson’s quest to regain his England place got off to a low-key start at Emirates Old Trafford, where he ceded the spotlight to Lancashire team-mate Hassan Ali on day one against Gloucestershire.

The country’s record wicket-taker, three months shy of his 40th birthday as he began his 21st season as a first-class cricketer, was controversially dropped for last month’s Test tour of the West Indies and has made it clear he wants his shirt back under Rob Key’s new regime.

Anderson’s return to action was the main attraction of this LV= Insurance County Championship game, but he finished wicketless as the visitors were bowled out for 252.

Instead it was Pakistan star Hassan who did the major damage, claiming six for 47, as Lancashire dragged the visitors back following a century opening partnership between Marcus Harris and Chris Dent.

Anderson got through 16 overs across four spells, stitching together seven maidens and conceding just 30 runs, but he was unable to mark his competitive comeback with a breakthrough.

With the England and Wales Cricket Board’s head scout James Taylor in attendance, it was Saqib Mahmood who did more to draw the eye. Although ultimately overshadowed by Hassan’s haul, he underlined the positive impressions he made in the Caribbean, where he made his Test bow in Anderson’s absence.

The 25-year-old impressed in Barbados and Grenada and, having turned down an IPL approach to hone his red-ball skills, took two for 44 on his Red Rose return.

An assured century partnership between Australian Harris (67) and Dent (52) had made good on Graeme van Buuren’s decision to bat first – a sound enough call given the trueness of the surface, but a brave one too given the riches in the home bowling unit.

Ande