Sam Cook tipped as the heir to James Anderson: "He's absolutely world-class"

The Essex seamer collected a third first-class 10-for in victory over Kent at Canterbury, leading to his captain Tom Westley predicting big things

Sam Cook is the natural successor to James Anderson, according to Essex captain Tom Westley.

The 25-year-old claimed his third first-class 10-for to help beat Kent in the LV= Insurance County Championship.

He took 3 for 27 as Kent were bundled out for 164 in their first innings and then added 7 for 33 - which included taking the first six - as the Canterbury club were dismissed for 149 to confirm a heavy innings defeat.

Cook now has 36 wickets at 16.75 in Championship cricket in 2022. Only Mohammad Abbas has taken more at the better average (42 at 16.47) in either Division One or Two.

The performance comes days after the right-armer was named player of the match in the men's Hundred final having taken 4 for 18 for the victorious Trent Rockets.

^{Anderson is showing no signs of slowing down in his 41st year (Michael Steele/Getty Images)}

Anderson, England's all-time leading wicket-taker and who picked up his 175th Test cap in the series decider against South Africa, has displayed no desire to call time on his career despite turning 40 earlier this summer.

With no obvious succession plan, Westley believes the heir to his throne can be found at Chelmsford.

"We could keep talking about Sammy Cook and I have done relentlessly, but he's absolutely world-class, I don’t think there's a better seamer," said the skipper, who himself played five Tests for England though not since 2017.

"The stats will back it up, he gets wickets in the first innings, the second innings, at Chelmsford and away from Chelmsford and he’s phenomenal. We're very lucky to have him at Essex. 

"I haven't seen a seamer bowl better than him whenever we’ve played against any team. He’s improving year on year. 

Westley has already turned his attention to next season (Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

"When he started he probably was mid to late 70s, but the work he puts in in the winter, in the gym, he's obviously maturing, he's getting faster as well, so for me, he ticks all the boxes and he can bat a bit as well."

A fifth win of the season moves Essex into fourth in the table, though they are merely playing for position in the final weeks of the season with the title destined to go to Hampshire or Surrey.

In 2018, Essex finished with four wins from their final five games - beating eventual champions Surrey in the process - and would claim their second title in three seasons the following summer.

Essex face Yorkshire, Lancashire and Northamptonshire in the concluding rounds of the season and Westley hopes to build momentum ahead of the 2023 campaign.

"It's not really possible to catch Surrey, but for us it's about finishing as high as possible and then like in 2018, using the momentum to go on and win it as we did in 2019," he added.

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