Impactful Roland-Jones presses Ashes case

You can't keep Ben Stokes out of the game for long. Although he has not been at his best with the ball this summer, his 14-over spell which had begun just after lunch and went on past tea wrestled this match, and probably the series, in England's favour. At one point, Stokes had taken three wickets for four runs in 32 balls. Yet it was the impact of Toby Roland-Jones, brought back into the side after missing out at Headingley, that has made things interesting ahead of the Ashes.

England's management know what Stokes can do when the ball swings. At Trent Bridge in 2015 against Australia he took 6-36 and in Johannesburg a few months later, he picked up 4-86. Both times the ball swung and he bowled terrifically here too, dismissing Roston Chase with a pearler of a delivery which clipped the top of off-stump and cleaning up Jason Holder with a big in-swinger after a raft of booming out-swingers. Stokes finished with six wickets in all.

Before this game, England's talismanic all-rounder had been strangely subdued with the ball. He had taken just ten wickets at 44 in six Tests and while his batting has flourished, Stokes has often cut a frustrated figure with ball in hand. During recent Test matches he has been working hard before play with bowling coach Otis Gibson to try and improve his rhythm and he did the same this morning although he bowled erratically at times and looked visibly annoyed at himself. It all fell into place, though, during a quite brilliant 14.3 over spell.

Stokes will, barring injury, be part of England's side for the first match of the Ashes in Brisbane on November 23. That cannot be said with certainty about Roland-Jones yet his performance at Lord's today has guaranteed him a spot on the plane and has put him firmly in contention for a starting Ashes berth. Having been left out of the previous match in favour of Chris Woakes, despite taking 14 wickets in his three Tests, it suggested the Warwickshire all-rounder was England's first choice third seamer. That may still be the case but Roland-Jones is pushing him hard.

It has been a fine start to Roland-Jones' Test career. His debut earlier this summer, at the age of 29, came later than he may have liked but he has wasted no time in making his mark. He has 16 wickets at 18.68 and although it has been a good summer for fast bowlers with conditions generally in their favour, the Middlesex seamer has impressed with his unfussy approach and consistency. He gets good batsmen out and dismissed Hashim Amla three times in two matches against South Africa. The challenge for Roland-Jones now will be to replicate his success in overseas conditions.

There is reason to be confident that he can. Roland-Jones is not a traditional swing bowler, although he can shape the ball, so has learnt how to take wickets when the ball doesn't swing. He is a line bowler in the mould of, say, Glenn McGrath, hitting the pitch hard, moving the ball off the seam and consistently churning out a good length on or around off-stump. Roland-Jones has taken a lot of wickets for Middlesex at Lord's on what has become a flatter pitch although it is not quite the bowlers graveyard that some perceive. All of which suggests he can be successful in overseas conditions.

Before Stokes stole the show, West Indies were moving along quite nicely at 78-2. The hero from Headingley, Shai Hope, was looking in ominous form and nothing much was happening for England. Roland-Jones then got one to move up the slope slightly and Hope, stuck on the crease, edged to Alastair Cook at first-slip. Two overs later, he bowled Jermaine Blackwood for nought although the batsman's shot left a lot to be desired. Two wickets for seven runs - two of the tourists best batsmen dismissed - and the complexion of the game had changed.

Roland-Jones may still not keep his place for the first Ashes test in Brisbane. Woakes looked ring rusty at Headingley, perhaps due to a lack of bowling for his county after recovering from a side strain he suffered in the Champions Trophy in June, but is a fine cricketer. His performances with bat and ball in Test cricket last year - 41 wickets and nearly 500 runs - should not be forgotten. When fit, Woakes is appreciably quicker than Roland-Jones, and England may need some extra firepower in Australia, plus he offers just as much control.

With James Anderson and Stuart Broad set to open the bowling and Stokes and Moeen Ali certain to be included, the third seamer is the only position in the bowling line-up yet to be nailed down. Will England pick Woakes or Roland-Jones for the first Test against Australia? Mark Wood, who Gibson this week described as England's x-factor bowler, shouldn't be discounted either. That is a decision for later. Today at Lord's, with an Ashes berth up for grabs, Roland-Jones couldn't have done much more to press his case.

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