England’s Mark Wood bowled a dynamite spell on day two of the second Test against the West Indies, clocking 97.1mph in a fierce display of raw speed at Trent Bridge.
Wood did not take a wicket as the tourists reached 89 for three in reply to 416 all out but his electrifying contribution was the only subject on anyone’s lips inside the ground.
Wood’s four-over burst was the fastest in English conditions since detailed records began in 2006, overtaking his own high watermarks at Lord’s in 2021 and Headingley during last summer’s Ashes.
Every one of his 24 deliveries cleared 90mph, with his slowest ball registering 90.4mph, and each of his first three overs set a new record for the fastest ever seen in this country, averaging north of 93mph.
When his his quickest effort flashed up on the big screen there was an audible gasp from the crowd.
Opener Mikyle Louis was the man to face that particular rocket from Wood, dropping his hands and weaving out of the way as it zipped through in a blur to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Having survived Wood’s onslaught, Louis relaxed enough to go after the more friendly-paced off spin of Shoaib Bashir and hacked uppishly into the leg side. Harry Brook held an expertly-judged catch and Wood, whose own figures of nought for 11 barely scratched the surface of his impact, had to settle for an unrecorded assist.
For Bashir, who did not bowl in last week’s innings victory in the series opener, it was a first wicket on home soil.
Number two came just before lunch, Kirk McKenzie perishing to a risible shot that looped into Ben Stokes’ hands at mid-on.
Gus Atkinson also opened his account for the day, bouncing out visiting skipper Kraigg Brathwaite for 48. Having given his side a positive start at the top of the order, the team’s senior batter was hurried by a well-directed short ball and flapped to the waiting Ollie Pope at short-leg.