Ben Stokes steals the show with six-wicket haul but West Indies fight back to keep series decider alive

Stokes hijacked James Anderson's headlines with career-best figures as West Indies were bowled out for 123 - but the visitors refused to roll over as England were left 46 for four on the first day

Ben Stokes enjoyed an irresistible and tireless spell for career-best figures of 14.3-6-22-6 (Getty)

Ben Stokes went for a record £1.7m in the Indian Premier League auction earlier this year but his latest star turn for England is further evidence he is rapidly becoming a priceless commodity for his country.

Stokes produced a quite brilliant display of swing bowling on the first day of this deciding Test at Lord’s to take a career-best six for 22.

It was a performance that saw West Indies routed for 123 after Jason Holder, their captain, won the toss and decided to bat first.

The tourists will still fancy their chances of winning this match and their first series in England since 1988, though, after they reduced Joe Root’s side to 24 for four in reply.

Those familiar top-order frailties that have dogged England for what now seems an eternity were laid bare in overcast, gloomy, late-evening conditions under the Lord’s floodlights.

Ben Stokes acknowledges the crowd as he leaves the field after taking six wickets (Getty)

The fact even Root, England’s captain and best batsmen, fell for just one during that period is testament to how difficult conditions were.

Yet that will offer little comfort to either Mark Stoneman or Tom Westley after the two batsmen both failed to get England going.

It meant Stokes took centre stage once again by the end of the day, reaching the close unbeaten on 13 alongside Dawid Malan to help his side to 46 for four by the close.

This, then, could be a close and thrilling Test match to end a series that has been frankly bizarre after West Indies followed up their innings defeat in the opening match at Edgbaston with one of the great Test-match wins at Headingley last week.

That left the series level at 1-1 coming into this final Test and we are still none the wiser about who will prevail after one day here.

Stokes, though, will surely be overflowing with the belief he can back up his stellar bowling performance with another brilliant display with the bat.

Stokes celebrates the wicket of Jason Holder (Getty)

Twice in recent weeks, against South Africa at The Oval and West Indies at Headingley, he has scored fine hundreds. Indeed, this is the first summer where he has made two Test centuries. A third would surely prove decisive in this match.

Stokes’ all-round qualities saw him become the most expensive overseas player in IPL history when he was bought for that bumper fee by Rising Pune Supergiant earlier this year.

However, it is in Test cricket where his true value is perhaps best shown.

When the 26-year-old was handed the England vice-captaincy at the start of this summer it was a reflection on both his character and skill.

Both were in evidence during a marathon spell spanning 14.3 overs and more than two hours that ended up with Stokes becoming only the eighth man in history to get himself on both bowling and batting honours boards at Lord’s.

Toby Roland-Jones looks on after taking Jermaine Blackwood's wicket (Getty)

Starting his spell at 2.21pm, Stokes finished at 4.47pm when he took the final West Indies wicket of Shannon Gabriel. The only break he had was the 20 minutes for tea.

This phenomenal performance not only got Stokes on the honours board again after he had first earned his batting stripes with a century here against New Zealand in 2015 but surpassed his previous best Test haul of 6 for 36 against Australia in the decisive Test of the Ashes at Trent Bridge later that summer.

So ruthless was Stokes in claiming the final three West Indies wickets after tea – captain Jason Holder, Kemar Roach and Gabriel all falling inside 16 minutes – that James Anderson was left stranded on 499 in his search for 500 Test wickets.

England’s record wicket-taker had moved to within one of that landmark when dismissing Kraigg Brathwaite and Kyle Hope during a weather-curtailed morning session that ended with the tourists on 35 for two.

West Indies refused to roll over at Lord's (Getty)

However, the recalled Toby Roland-Jones and Stokes then shared the remaining eight wickets to delay Anderson’s coronation as only the sixth bowler in the history of Test cricket to reach the 500 mark.

There will be others in England’s dressing-room, though, with far more to worry about than Anderson.

Both Stoneman and Westley will be fretting over their places for this winter’s Ashes tour after falling for one and eight respectively during England’s latest top-order collapse.

Stoneman’s half-century at Headingley, his second Test, was encouraging. The shot he played here to edge Roach behind less so.

Jason Holder celebrates taking the wicket of Joe Root (Getty)

England 15 for two when Alastair Cook fell to Roach in exactly the same manner soon after, although no blame could be apportioned to the batsman this time given how good the ball was.

Westley will not want to see his dismissal again after he was trapped lbw by Holder on eight. The Essex batsman’s grip on the No3 position is now seriously tenuous. You would think only a century in England’s second innings will see him retain his place for the Ashes.

England, on 19 for three, were relying on Root to bail them out yet again.

That wasn’t going to be on this occasion, though, as Root gave Holder his second wicket, Powell hanging on to the chance at first slip.