While all eyes have been on Andrew Flintoff during Lancashire's first few games, James Anderson has been quietly enjoying an impressive start to the season for his county.

Anderson led Lancashire to their first championship victory of the campaign yesterday, taking five for 25 in a skilful spell of swing bowling as Durham were bundled out before lunch for a woeful 90 in their second innings. Moving the ball both ways in the air, Anderson finished with figures of nine for 77 in the match, which can only enhance his prospects of being named tomorrow in England's squad for the first npower Test against New Zealand.

Flintoff, after his devastating three-wicket burst the previous evening, did not add to his tally in a five-over spell, although he did have a straightforward chance missed at slip when he found Mark Davies's edge. The culprit was Anderson. He hung his head, but promptly atoned for his error by trapping Davies leg-before in the next over.

In the muggy atmosphere that suits his style of bowling so well, Anderson kept a full length on a bouncy pitch. “The humid conditions really suited Jimmy,” Stuart Law, the Lancashire captain, said. “We got a good shine on the ball and he bowled beautifully.”

Law bowled Anderson unchanged from the Stretford End for 11.4 overs. Garry Park edged an outswinger behind, while Phil Mustard and Ben Harmison failed to cope with the extra bounce. Mustard, fencing on the back foot, sliced a catch high to second slip, then Harmison attempted to leave the ball but managed only to edge a catch off the toe of his bat.

“I've captained Jimmy a few times and it's very difficult to get the ball out of his hands on a day like this,” Law said. “He's confident in his action and ability at the moment. When he's like that, he just gets better and better. There's no reason why he couldn't put in a performance for England.”

Having played the last two Tests of England's recent series in New Zealand, Anderson has taken 11 wickets in two Championship matches and 15 first-class wickets at ten runs apiece this season.

For Durham's batsmen, this springy pitch must have seemed a world away from the Riverside. They managed a paltry aggregate of 204 runs in the match, badly missing their South African middle-order pairing of Neil McKenzie and Dale Benkenstein.

That said, they will not encounter many opening attacks as lethal as Flintoff and Anderson, bowling in helpful conditions and attempting to play their way into England's Test team. If they are both to depart on international duty shortly, they have served their county well.

Lancashire: First Innings 143 (M Davies 7 for 33) Second Innings 293 (P J Horton 108; P J Wiseman 4 for 87)

Durham: First Innings 114 (A Flintoff 4 for 21, J M Anderson 4 for 31)

Second Innings (overnight 28-3)

*M J Di Venuto run out 24
M Davies lbw b Anderson 14
G T Park c Sutton b Anderson 2
P Mustard c Law b Anderson 10
B W Harmison c Sutton b Anderson 16
P J Wiseman not out 6
M E Claydon lbw b Mahmood 4
S J Harmison c Mahmood b Anderson 0

Extras (b 2, lb 1, w 1, nb 4) 8

Total (34.4 overs)90

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-18, 3-20, 4-47, 5-53, 6-58, 7-71, 8-80, 9-89.

Bowling: Anderson 17.4-4-46-5; Flintoff 11-6-21-3; Mahmood 6-1-20-1.

Umpires: T E Jesty and N A Mallender.

Explore Cricket

• Counties