England speedster Mark Wood bowled the fastest over ever by an Englishman on home soil during the ongoing second Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge. Wood consistently clocked speeds well over 90 mph in his first over of the West Indies’ first innings, peaking at a blistering 96.5 mph.
Captain Ben Stokes brought Wood into the attack in the 10th over after new-ball bowlers Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes failed to make an early breakthrough. Wood’s first two deliveries were timed at 93.1 mph and 96.1 mph, followed by 95.2 mph, 92.2 mph, 96.5 mph, and 95.2 mph. Despite his fiery pace, Wood has yet to take a wicket in this match.
The 34-year-old pacer was brought into the playing XI for the second Test, replacing the now-retired James Anderson.
Wood last played a Test in Dharamsala, the final fixture of the five-match series against India, but went wicketless in his only innings. His raw pace was instrumental in the Ashes series last year, where he claimed 14 wickets in three Tests at an impressive average of 20.21.
England Pile Up 416 After Being Sent to Bat by West Indies
Meanwhile, the home side amassed 416 runs in their first innings, all scored on Day 1, after West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite opted to field first.
Despite dismissing Zak Crawley for a duck, the visitors couldn’t maintain control. Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope struck boundaries freely, propelling England past the 50-run mark well inside five overs. Duckett was dismissed for a quick-fire 71 off 59 balls, while Pope, benefiting from two dropped catches on 46 and 54, went on to score his sixth Test century before falling for 121.
Contributions from Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, and Chris Woakes bolstered England’s total to 416. At the time of writing, West Indies were 83/2 after 24 overs in their first innings.
England currently lead the three-match series 1-0.
