England’s Chris Woakes to make red-ball comeback for Warwickshire

England all-rounder Chris Woakes is to play in Warwickshire’s next two County Championship games.

It will be Woakes’ first red-ball cricket in 10 months as he steps up his bid to be match fit for the forthcoming Test series against West Indies.

The first Test starts at Lord’s on 10 July, when England’s record wicket-taker James Anderson is scheduled to make his final appearance.

But, with Stuart Broad having retired last summer, Jofra Archer at the T20 World Cup and not scheduled to play any red-ball cricket this year, and Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton out injured, there is increased competition for places.

The 48-times capped Woakes, 35, has not featured for England in Tests since his match-winning performance against Australia to ensure a 2-2 series draw in the Ashes last August – when he was also voted man of the series for his 19-wicket haul.

He was part of England’s under-performing team at the World Cup in India and Pakistan in November, played in four out of five games in the T20 series defeat by West Indies prior to Christmas, then played for Sharjah Warriors in the International League T20 in January and February.

But Woakes was left out of England’s T20 World Cup squad and, following the death of his father, he took some time out until returning to play in two Birmingham Bears T20 Blast matches last week.

He has been rested for this week’s two Bears T20 games on Thursday and Friday but now has a chance to further go through his paces in the Championship matches against Hampshire at Edgbaston on Sunday and at Taunton against Somerset, starting on 30 June.

Woakes made the three most recent of his 99 first-class appearances for the Bears in May 2023 – but Sunday will be his 100th when he will be looking to add to his 364 wickets.