Seamer Mark Wood shattered the records book as he set the speed gun blazing with the fastest recorded Test over by an England bowler (twice) at home during the 2nd match against West Indies on Friday.
Bowling his first over of the match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Wood took no time to limber up as he bowled a 93.9 mph (151.1 kmph) delivery first up to Windies opener Mikyle Louis. Louis was then beaten by a pacy, moving delivery at 96.1 mph (154.65 kmph) by the Englishman.
Wood backed up his initial deliveries with 95.2 mph (152.88 kmph) and 92.2 mph (148.06 kmph) thunderbolts before topping the charts off the fifth delivery. Wood darted in a searing 96.5 mph (155.30 kmph) yorker which Louis dug out for a single. He finished the over with another booming delivery at 95.2 mph (153.20) to West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite with an average speed of 94.40 mph in the over.
Wood immediately overhauled his record as he delivered more heat in his second over as the speeds read: 95 mph (152 kmph), 93 mph (149.66 kmph), 95 mph (152 kmph), 96 mph (154.49), 97.1 mph (156.26 kmph) and 94 mph (151.27 kmph) – in his second over.
This record has already been beaten… By Mark Wood’s third over 😂 https://t.co/3TUz6lrF5I
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 19, 2024
Blistering pace
Last year, the 34-year-old Wood had similarly cranked up the pace in the third Ashes Test at Headingley where he touched speeds of 91 mph, 93 mph, 95 mph, 93 mph, 94 mph and 93 mph in an over. England eventually won the Test by three wickets.
Wood raised the bar in his third over when he 97.1 mph against Louis with a short delivery.
Wood is considered to be among the fastest bowlers across formats currently in the world. His fastest recorded Test delivery stands at 156.6 kmph, against Pakistan in the Multan Test in 2022. Wood had bowled the fastest delivery of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia where England emerged victorious.
Happy birthday, @MAWood33 🎂
🔥 Fastest Ball: 96.5mph
🚀 First over: 91mph, 93mph, 95mph, 93mph, 94mph, 93mph
🤯 Average pace: 92.9mphThrowback to one of the best spells of the summer 🍿📺 pic.twitter.com/zIvotBL4X5
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 11, 2024
The right-arm quick bowled a 154.74 kmph delivery to New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips in a Super 12 match and also dominated the top-10 list for the fastest balls of the World Cup with six deliveries recorded over 153kmph. Wood had also set the record for the fastest T20I over in men’s cricket, averaging 149.02 kmph in a four-over spell against Afghanistan in the World Cup.
Wood had also bowled the fastest delivery of the 2019 ODI World Cup, clocking 154 kmph against New Zealand’s Henry Nicholls in the final at Lord’s.
Sent in to bat first, England compiled 416 in 88.3 overs on Day 1 on the back of Ollie Pope’s century and Ben Duckett’s quick-fire 71. The duo had propelled England to the fastest recorded Test team fifty during the innings, reaching the mark in only 4.2 overs.
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