Woakes makes history, creates dilemma

Chris Woakes wasn't even in England's team at the start of this northern summer.

But on an absorbing third day of this first Test against Pakistan he became the first English allrounder since Ian Botham to claim an 11-wicket match haul at Lord's.

Woakes' second five-fer of the match just about kept his side in this contest, Pakistan's lead of 281 making them favourites, especially as they still have two second-innings wickets remaining.

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However, this day was all about Woakes joining the company of legends, with Botham, who destroyed New Zealand here in 1978, and Stuart Broad, doing the same against West Indies in 2012, the only other England players to have taken 10 wickets or more in a Test at this ground in the past 38 years.

To show how far Woakes has come, before this northern summer he had taken just eight wickets in six Tests at an average of 63.75 since his debut in the final match of the 2013 Ashes at The Oval.

It takes a lot for Geoffrey Boycott to lavish praise on someone but the England batting legend, not known to offer cheap compliments, was positively gushing about Woakes.

"He's made himself a really good cricketer now," said the Yorkshireman. "He's a different bowler now to the one who made his debut in 2013 against Australia at The Oval – he has more pace for a start. Woakes is bowling such a lovely, rhythmical line. It's beautiful.

"He is probably the most improved cricketer in England. He's got more pace, more discipline. He's really good."

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Woakes did bowl beautifully, finding swing where others could not and ensuring England did not miss the presence of James Anderson as much as they might have otherwise.

Anderson's England-record 454 Test wickets are a big miss for Alastair Cook's side. But both he and Ben Stokes look likely to return for the second Test against Pakistan in Manchester next week given both bowled for their respective teams in the County Championship on Saturday.

Anderson, returning from a shoulder injury, took 1-10 in the six overs he bowled for Lancashire at Southport. Stokes, in his first bowl since knee surgery last month, sent down 14 wicket-less overs for Durham in the same match.

Despite that pair returning, Woakes' stock has risen so high in recent weeks that a man once regarded as a stop-gap stand-in will remain in England's team.

Only called up as an injury replacement for Stokes following the first Test against Sri Lanka at Leeds in May, Woakes has since taken 19 wickets in three Tests since at an average of 13.21.

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It's hard to argue with those numbers and what makes his revival even more startling is the fact the Warwickshire allrounder had looked so far off the pace in his previous Test – returning match figures of 1-144 against South Africa at Centurion in January – that doubts about his ability to cut it at this level were entirely valid.

The 27-year-old has come a long way since then and with Stokes set to return, there is the tantalising prospect of England fielding two genuine box-office, seam-bowling allrounders in their Test team, along with Moeen Ali whose spin allied to his batting makes him another player who adds depth to the team.

Woakes has scored nine centuries in first-class cricket and he again showed his ability with the bat on day three here when scoring an unbeaten 35 in England's first innings. Don't forget he also scored an unbeaten 95 from No8 during the tied first ODI against Sri Lanka at Nottingham last month.

With Steven Finn and Jake Ball likely to make way for the second Test, England will be able to fit all three into their team at six, seven and eight in their batting line-up.

It is Woakes' bowling, though, that will keep him England's team.

It might just also help his side win this fascinating Test match.