NEW DELHI:
Mark Wood
made history during the ongoing second Test against West Indies at Trent Bridge on Friday by bowling the fastest recorded over by an England bowler at home.
Wood, who took the place of the retired James Anderson in England's playing 11, started his first over with a bang, clocking 93.9 mph (151.1 km/h) on his first delivery to opener Mikyle Louis.
On the second ball, Wood surpassed his own speed, reaching an impressive 96.1 mph (154.65 km/h), leaving the batter bewildered.
He maintained his assault with deliveries at 95.2 mph (152.88 km/h) and 92.2 mph (148.06 km/h) before unleashing a blistering 96.5 mph (155.30 km/h) yorker on his fifth ball, which Louis managed to dig out for a single.
The 34-year-old
England pacer
concluded the over with another rapid delivery at 95.2 mph (153.20 km/h) to West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, achieving an average speed of 94.40 mph across the six balls.
In his second over, Wood intensified his bowling with a sequence of deliveries that were recorded at 95 mph (152 km/h), 93 mph (149.66 km/h), 95 mph (152 km/h), 96 mph (154.49 km/h), 97.1 mph (156.26 km/h), and 94 mph (151.27 km/h).
During the third Ashes Test at Headingley in the previous year, the 34-year-old Wood showcased his ability to bowl at high speeds when he delivered an over with balls clocked at 91 mph, 93 mph, 95 mph, 93 mph, 94 mph, and 93 mph.
England ultimately secured a victory in the Test by a margin of three wickets.
Wood further increased the pressure when he bowled a short delivery to Louis at a blistering speed of 97.1 mph in his third over.
Wood is widely acknowledged as one of the fastest bowlers in the world across all formats of cricket. During the Multan Test against Pakistan in 2022, he delivered the quickest ball in Test history, clocking an impressive speed of 156.6 kmph.
Wood's exceptional pace was also on display during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, where England emerged victorious. In a Super 12 match against New Zealand, he bowled the tournament's fastest delivery at 154.74 km/h, targeting
Glenn Phillips
. Wood's name appeared six times in the list of the top 10 fastest deliveries of the World Cup, with each of those balls surpassing 153 km/h.
Another record set by Wood during the World Cup was the fastest T20 over in men's cricket. In a four-over spell against Afghanistan, his average speed reached an astonishing 149.02 kmph.
Furthermore, in the 2019 ODI World Cup final at Lord's, Wood bowled the tournament's quickest delivery, reaching 154 km/h against New Zealand's Henry Nicholls.
English (US) ·