Chris Woakes pays perfect tribute to late father with immaculate spell

Telegraph

4 days ago

Clean-cut Chris Woakes is perhaps the least likely England cricketer to sport a tattoo. But at Headingley last week, eagle-eyed viewers spotted that tucked away quietly on his left tricep was some new ink.
In typical Woakes fashion, the tattoo is discreet and unshowy. He got it this year in memory of his father, Roger, who died last May. Woakes was deeply moved by his passing, taking time away from the game and saying that 'the last month has been the most challenging of my life'. The tattoo is intricate and pale, and shows Roger from behind, wearing a flat cap and walking with his hands behind his back, surrounded by his initials and dates.
'I got it in memory of him,' said Woakes, who was visibly emotional. 'My Dad always wore a flat cap, and he would walk around the boundary with his hands behind his back, nervously watching me play cricket.'
Roger went to Edgbaston thousands of times, and had he been there on Wednesday, you suspect he would have loved what he saw from his son. After a rusty return at Headingley, Woakes bowled beautifully on his home ground. As he so often does, he grew into the series and looked better for a tough run-out in the first Test.
Woakes took two wickets in fine batting conditions on a pitch designed to give his beloved Warwickshire a decent fifth-day crowd, but could have had plenty more. His opening spell was immaculate, with 34 of his first 36 balls dots, including the wicket of KL Rahul. He is building a fine, contrasting opening partnership with the more naturally aggressive Brydon Carse, who hit 92mph.
Twice, umpire Sharfuddoula denied him with very marginal lbw shouts in an immaculate opening spell. The second was so close, with Karun Nair shouldering arms to a nip-backer, that mild-mannered Woakes even afforded himself a little grumble. Nevertheless, that will have made the dismissal of Nitish Kumar Reddy later in the day, bowled leaving the ball, even more satisfying. Woakes said that was England's plan because the pitch is too slow for outside edges.
'That was up there,' Woakes smiled phlegmatically, when asked if it was as grumpy as he had ever been on the field. 'I've got to be careful because I've had some [umpire's calls] go my way over the years but it was frustrating.'
Woakes admitted that, in a ground packed with friends and family, he did afford his father the occasional thought. 'Definitely. He's always on my mind, that's for sure,' the 36-year-old said. 'There's moments where I think about him. He loved his cricket, and he'd have loved this week.'
Asked if a wicket feels that bit more special on his home ground, the proud Brummie said: 'Yeah, I'd say so. Across a career you don't get that many games at your home venue. This is only my fourth. That's not a load. At the age I am, they don't come around too often. It's a special week and I have a lot of friends and family in the ground. I have a love for Warwickshire that goes deep. It's all I've ever known, my whole professional career has been here. I was here before this stand was here. I've seen it change, and there's a lot of people behind the scenes that support you in the good times and the bad. It's a special week to play at Edgbaston, it really is.'
Chris Woakes makes the early breakthrough for England 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xXcGIRVnvc
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Woakes has always been an easy man to write off, and there was some grumbling about his performance at Headingley. But Woakes averages 22.6 at home, 24.7 when Ben Stokes is captain (he has lost just one of his 11 Tests under Stokes, and 27.6 since Jimmy Anderson retired a year ago.
For context Anderson, who captained Lancashire to their first victory of the season on Wednesday, averaged 43 across his last year as a Test cricketer. Woakes also bats (on a pitch this flat, could he become the first Warwickshire player to make a Test hundred at Edgbaston this week?), fields well, and is incredibly trustworthy. He is the model pro.
Although he has improved – as evidenced in New Zealand last year – Woakes has never quite answered questions about his ability overseas, and he should go to Australia behind the likes of Carse in the pecking order to play in the Ashes. But wrapped in the warm blanket of his home comforts, and with family on his mind, there are few better than unfussy Woakes, as his fine opening spell showed.