ImprovingWoakes can be the new Anderson
Chris Stocks takes a look at the all-rounder who was one of the few successes in the first Test loss to Pakistan
Amid the disappointment of England’s Lord’s defeat against Pakistan there was one shining light – the performance of Chris Woakes.
A nearly man and stand-in for much of his international career,Woakes confirmed his ascent from bit-part player, only drafted into the team earlier this summer because of injury to Ben Stokes, to integral member of England’s attack during the opening Test.
Indeed, in taking 11 wickets in the match he produced the best Test bowling performance by an England all-rounder at Lord’s since Ian Botham in 1978.
Woakes is a genuine all-rounder, with nine first-class centuries so far in his career and, during his unbeaten 35 at Lord’s, he was one of the few batsmen during England’s first innings who was able to play leg-spinner Yasir Shah with any authority.
A shame for Woakes that such a fine performance came in a losing cause.
“From a personal level, it is my best game in an England shirt but there are mixed emotions,” he said.
“It was an average Test match for us, we played some good stuff, but not so good too in between.
“Playing more regularly, you gain confidence. I came into the summer with good rhythm with Warwickshire and you just want to get the ball down the other end, it feels pretty good.”
Woakes had celebrated his call-up for the second Test against Sri Lanka in May with a nine-wicket innings haul for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston.
He had received the call-up thanks only to the knee injury sustained by Stokes in the first Test of the summer at Headingley the previous week.
However, such has been Woakes’ consistency since coming back, both will play when the second Test against Pakistan starts at Old Trafford today.
“I’d like to think we can play in the same team but that’s down to the selectors,” Woakes had said before this current series began.“The workload is very high in international cricket, especially for all-rounders like myself and Ben, and I suppose there will be times we rotate.
“Whenever you get an opportunity you have to grab it with both hands, whether it’s form that’s got you in or an injury to someone. I feel in decent form and more established as an England cricketer. I don’t see why my best years can’t be ahead of me.”
At 27,Woakes is approaching his peak years as a cricketer and it is perhaps serendipity that he was given his chance against Sri Lanka just months after he had appeared to have blown his Test ambitions with a dire performance against South Africa in Cape Town.
Match figures of 1-144 illustrated how badly he bowled in a match that was a golden opportunity to state his case for continued Test inclusion. He blew it and, but for Stokes’ injury, was unlikely to have played this summer.
“I didn’t feel I did myself justice in the final Test in South Africa,” he admits.“I struggled for rhythm and it was unfortunate that it came in a Test match.
“I suppose until you really deliver at international level there are people who don’t believe that you truly belong there.”
Despite a career first-class bowling average of 24.72, before this summer Woakes, who made his debut in the final match of the 2013 Ashes series at The Oval, had taken just eight wickets in six Tests at 63.75.
It is highly instructive to note that average now stands at 28.22 after 19 wickets in three Tests this summer.
While comparisons with Stokes as an all-rounder may be the obvious discussion point when it comes to Woakes, perhaps the longer-term role for him in the side might be as the eventual successor to James Anderson.
Like Woakes, England’s leading all-time wicket-taker also had a slow start to his international career and his absence from Lord’s also offered us a glimpse into the future.
At 33, Anderson isn’t getting any younger and retirement draws ever closer with every fresh injury.While he will hope to continue until at least the Ashes series in Australia next year, his time will come eventually and when it does Woakes may be the man who can take over his mantle.
At Lord’s, it was noticeable Woakes was the one England bowler consistently finding swing. It was baffling why he wasn’t offered the new ball earlier – Stuart Broad opening the bowling with his Nottinghamshire team-mate Jake Ball instead.
Woakes, though, did things with the ball others were unable to and that is another interesting development in his progression.
As well as his speed – up significantly from a couple of years ago – he is a far more skilful bowler now than he ever was. Hopefully those skills will increase the more he plays, maybe with Anderson alongside him offering some hints and tips that will make him even more potent.
Woakes has worked hard on his bowling for a long time away from the spotlight with the likes of Graeme Welch at Warwickshire and Kevin Shine, the ECB’s lead bowling coach, at Loughborough.“It’s been a long process,” he says.“It didn’t happen overnight.”
Now, though, that hard work is paying off with spectacular results.
As well as his speed – up significantly from a couple of years ago – he is a far more skilful bowler than he ever was and hopefully those skills will increase