Ben Stokes praised the “phenomenal” performance by fast bowler Mark Wood as he took five wickets in a six-over spell that set England on course for a whitewash-clinching win over the West Indies in the third Test at Edgbaston.
Up until lunch on day three, Wood only had four wickets to show from his two Tests in the series, despite bowling blisteringly quick spells to unsettle numerous West indies batters.
Six overs later, he had more than doubled that tally with five wickets for nine runs in a six-over spell to suddenly bowl West Indies out for 175 in their second innings to set up a 10-wicket victory for the hosts.
“It felt like he was going to take a wicket every ball,” Stokes told Sky Sports. “Obviously when the ball is reverse swinging at 93mph, it’s definitely going to be a lot harder.
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Ben Stokes reflects on a successful third Test against the West Indies at Edgbaston and heaps praise on Mark Wood.
“He’s got the heart of a lion and that little sort of 45 minutes or an hour period when he had the ball is exactly what you want as a captain.
“The skill that he possesses, the X factor that he has, every team wants one of those and he showed why he’s so important today.”
‘One of the best reverse-swing performances I’ve seen’
Wood first trapped Joshua Da Silva lbw, before bowling Alzarri Joseph with a brutal, toe-crusher of a yorker that took out his middle stump.
Quick as a flash, the West Indies innings was then ended with three wickets in an over as Kavem Hodge nicked off, Jayden Seales (0) saw his off stump flattened and Shamar Joseph (4) thick-edged a drive to Harry Brook at second slip.
Mark Wood celebrates one of his five wickets in a blistering six-over spell after lunch on day three of the Edgbaston Test
“It was phenomenal,” Stokes later added when speaking to reporters. “He walked off with five wickets there but I still don’t think he actually got the rewards he deserved for the effort he’s put in over the two Test matches. He’s been incredible.
“Not only was it fast, it was extremely skilful. And it was at a time where I’d sensed that it was the time to blow them away.
“I think it’s one of the best reverse-swing performances I’ve seen in a long time.
“It was just awesome to see. And there was almost a bit of relief there because he’d beaten the bat so many times in the two games.”
Chasing only 82 runs to win, Stokes then promoted himself to the top of the order with Zak Crawley absent getting his right index finger scanned after injuring it in the morning session.
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Ben Stokes hits a six to complete his half-century for England at Edgbaston – making it the fastest 50 in England Test history.
And the captain promptly smashed the fastest-ever Test fifty for England off 24 balls – breaking Sir Ian Botham’s previous 28-ball best – as the hosts reached their target in just 7.2 overs.
“I was always going to go out there and try and look to be ultra positive,” Stokes said.
“The new ball feels a bit better off the bat than the slightly older, softer one. So once one hit the middle, I was like ‘I might as well have a crack’.”
Wood: First wicket gave me confidence
Reflecting on his Player-of-the-Match winning performance, Wood said: “That first wicket gave me a lot of confidence and from there it just started to fly.
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Mark Wood reflected on a great performance at Edgbaston after getting five wickets on the third day of the third Test vs West Indies and discussed the advice he received from Jimmy Anderson.
“Speaking to the management at lunchtime, I was pretty down on my myself and frustrated, but Jimmy [Anderson] gave me a great chat, telling me to focus on the skill side of things and moving the ball, rather than the outcome, and I really feel like that is what I tried to do.
“My role is to bowl fast and that’s what Stokesy wants me to do, and I’m proud of that role.
“Over the years my speed has been a bit up and down with injury, but I’ve managed to maintain it these games and hopefully I can continue that into the summer.”
Broad: Wood spell was ‘great theatre’
Former England bowler Stuart Broad, speaking on Sky Sports:
“Mark Wood was great theatre. Ninety miles per hour reverse-swing bowling, stumps out of the ground – as a fan of cricket, that’s what I want to see.
“He’s had quite frustrating series in that he’s bowled fantastically well and hasn’t had the rewards, but then cricket always pays you back and his rewards came today in quite spectacular fashion.
“You can see all his team-mates charging towards him when he took wickets how popular he is in the changing room and he’d have been quite down on himself not taking wickets.
“He deserved that handful today.”
England’s Test series vs West Indies
England’s three-Test series against Sri Lanka gets under way at Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday August 21. Watch live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am (first ball bowled at 11am).
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