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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Tanya Aldred

Ashes series heads to Old Trafford seeking a perfect pitch amid the noise

Storm clouds gather over Old Trafford during England's Test against South Africa in 2022
Storm clouds gather over Old Trafford during the victory against South Africa last year, but England have not won an Ashes Test in Manchester since 1981. Photograph: Lindsey Parnaby/AFP/Getty

When Jimmy Anderson pauses at the top of his mark at Old Trafford this week, he will have his neat white boots on familiar clod.

But much has changed since the almost 41-year-old Anderson first set foot on the ground as a fresh‑faced and nervous teenager. Not only has the Pavilion End been renamed the James Anderson End in his honour, marked out in red lettering, but the whole place has gone through a transformation.

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