Mark Wood bombarded the West Indies with raw pace as he touched 97.1mph at Trent Bridge but England were unable to assume control on day two of the second Test.
Wood unleashed a dynamite first spell that electrified the Nottingham crowd, twice breaking his own record for the fastest over recorded in English conditions.
He somehow finished wicketless despite returning for three more blasts of breakneck speed and left the field nursing a niggle before the close of play.
A West Indies side who folded meekly at Lord’s last week showed much greater resolve as they made 351 for five on the back of Kavem Hodge’s maiden Test century, closing just 65 runs behind.
Hodge scored a dogged 120 having been dropped by Joe Root on just 16, the closest Wood came to being rewarded for his labours. The 34-year-old hit 93mph with his first ball of the morning, averaged 94mph in each of his first three overs overs and drew gasps of astonishment from the stands when the big screen flashed up his top speed.
Nobody has bowled quicker in this country since reliable ball-tracking data became available in 2006, with Wood now responsible for the top five fastest overs following similarly fiery outings at Lord’s in 2021 and at Headingley during last summer’s Ashes.
The Durham quick did everything in his power to force a breakthrough, clattering Alick Athanaze flush on the helmet after he ducked into a 92mph bumper and returning in the evening session to fire the ball past the outside edge on numerous occasions, but in the end he limped gingerly from the field with figures of nought for 51 from 14.1 overs. Rarely have the bare numbers told so little of the true tale.
Instead he watched on as spinner Shoaib Bashir received two gift-wrapped wickets, his first on home soil, while Gus Atkinson, Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes took one apiece.
A haul of five wickets in six-and-a-half hours of toil represented a modest start to life without James Anderson, their forcibly retired record wicket-taker who watched proceedings from the balcony in his new role as a fast bowling mentor.
Woakes, Anderson’s successor as leader of the attack, struggled to create consistent danger, Atkinson’s Midas touch from the first Test went missing and Bashir failed to manage a single maiden as his 23 overs cost exactly 100.
Wood made his first appearance in the 10th over and immediately hit his straps. After setting a furious pace he summoned one of the fastest balls he has ever let fly to opener Mikyle Louis, who dropped his hands and weaved out of the way as it fizzed through to Jamie Smith in a blur.
Having survived Wood’s onslaught, Louis relaxed enough to go after Bashir and thrash uppishly into the leg side. Harry Brook held an expertly-judged catch and Wood had to settle for an unrecorded assist.
Bashir claimed a second just before lunch when Kirk McKenzie perished to a risible hack and Atkinson hustled out Kraigg Brathwaite, who flapped a bouncer to short-leg.
From 89 for three at lunch, the Windies put together their best passage of cricket since landing in the country earlier this month. Athanaze was particularly easy on the eye, leaning into drives and steering the ball behind square, while Hodge made a flintier knock at the other end.
Between them the pair added 123 in a wicketless afternoon session, forcing the television cameras to seek out Anderson as he watched on from the pavilion. An extended spell of bumpers from Wood and Atkinson were soaked up with only the occasional miscue, though Athanaze did rock backwards after having his helmet rattled.
After a stand of 175 Athanaze finally fell for 82, flashing Stokes to gully, but Hodge reached three figures with a lovely on-drive off the England captain, circled the stumps at the non-striker’s end and leapt into Jason Holder’s bear hug on the way back.
Woakes eventually got him lbw late in the day, a much-needed success on a quiet outing for the all-rounder, but a frustrating late partnership between Holder and Josh Da Silva chipped away at England’s remaining lead.