Anderson has taken 117 wickets in 35 Tests for England

Lancashire batsman Ashwell Prince has said that paceman James Anderson could hold the key to England's chances of regaining the Ashes.

Anderson who made his Test debut in 2003, was named as one of the Wisden cricketers of the year for 2009.

"To be able to swing the ball in and out at will and at pace is quite a bit for a batsman to deal with," Prince told BBC Radio Manchester.

"I think he's going to be a big bowler for England in the Ashes."

And Prince, who toured England with South Africa in 2008, said that Anderson has raised his game in the past 12 months.

He's bowling at a lively pace and he's at the top of his game at the moment Ashwell Prince

"I think when he came on the scene he was predominantly an out-swing bowler.

"Now he has now added the in-swing to his game which is making him obviously much harder to deal with.

"He's bowling at a lively pace and he's at the top of his game at the moment."

Anderson, who took 46 Test match wickets in 2008, claimed figures of 6-56 in the first innings of Lancashire's County Championship match against Sussex.

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