Stokes' marathon spell dismantles Windies

Having denied James Anderson his 500^th Test wicket by producing a quite phenomenal bowling performance on the first day of this deciding Test at Lord's, Ben Stokes at least gave England some hope he can paper over their glaring batting frailties in Australia later this year.

This third Test against West Indies is England's last one before the Ashes begins in November. The display with the ball from Stokes, the allrounder taking a career-best 6-22 during a marathon 14.3-over spell to get himself on both honours boards at Lord's, is highly encouraging.

However, the latest top-order collapse – with Ashes hopefuls Mark Stoneman and Tom Westley again failing – took the edge off the feel-good factor created by Stokes as Joe Root's team closed the day on 4-46 in reply to West Indies' first-innings 123.

Stokes was at least still there at the close unbeaten on 13 and it is to be hoped a man who first got himself on the batting honours board at Lord's two years ago with a century against New Zealand can do something similar again in this series decider to at least help England head to Australia on a winning note.

That is far from certain and the selection questions over Stoneman and Westley will rumble on regardless if either fails in their team's second innings.

Even if they get big runs, most people will still wonder if the two rookies, who are playing their third and fifth Tests respectively, have what it takes to counter the likes of Mitchell Starc and company in Australian conditions.

At least in Stokes, though, England have a talent they can rely on and after a northern summer where he already has posted two fine Test centuries, this was a good moment for the 26-year-old to finally produce something special with the ball.

The amount of swing Stokes produced on an overcast autumnal day in London was remarkable. Yet his control of it was even more impressive as he moved the ball both ways to rip through West Indies batting line-up to take more wickets in one day than he had taken in the previous four Tests.

"I hope it's a starting point and I can start producing some better performances with the ball," said Stokes.

"I've felt the last three or four weeks I was getting back to more consistency with my action but not quite producing what I wanted to in the middle and I was letting the team down a little bit.

"But to go out there and bowl the way I did today was a monkey off my back. Obviously at Lord's, the home of cricket, to be on one honours board - no one can take it away from you and I'll always be able to say I'm on there through batting and bowling."

Stokes took 16 minutes after tea to take the final three West Indies wickets to leave Anderson – who had taken the first two to move onto 499 in his career – one short of joining the 500 club.

It's actually quite remarkable that Anderson didn't take the wicket he needed during a spell where he completely bamboozled the opposition batsmen with another swing masterclass.

Indeed, during his 16^th over Devendra Bishoo somehow survived despite playing and missing at five deliveries and leaving another that missed off stump by about an inch.

"That over he bowled to Bishoo was the best over in the history of Test cricket not to get a wicket," said Stokes.

"I've got no idea how he didn't manage to get one. But he's got another crack at getting the big 500, and I'm sure he will. He's been a class performer, and I hope I'm on the pitch when he manages to get it."

England will hope both Stokes and Anderson are in this kind of form come the Ashes. They will have to contend with rather less helpful conditions than this, though, come the Gabba.