England captain Ben Stokes admits he has the taste for pace as he prepares to unleash Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson on the West Indies.
James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s mastery of swing and seam have defined England’s bowling arsenal for years but, with both now in retirement, Stokes is ready to crank up the speed gun.
Atkinson goes into Thursday’s second Test at Trent Bridge on a high after taking 12 wickets on debut in Anderson’s farewell appearance last week and hurried the tourists as he nudged up to 90mph.
Wood has even more fire at his fingertips, having frequently topped 95mph, and he has been thrown straight back into the side after a short break following the T20 World Cup.
“It was very exciting, the prospect of seeing Gus Atkinson bowl at one end and Mark Wood at the other,” Stokes said on the eve of the match.
“Look at the way Gus bowled last week, it’s not only the 12 wickets, it’s finding another bowler who can bowl between 87-90mph. Woody is someone who had an unbelievable summer last year in the Ashes.
“He was a massive player for us with a huge impact and everyone knows why – because of his pace.”
England have made it clear they are retooling their team with the 2025/26 Ashes series in mind, a tour where genuinely quick bowlers are close to a necessity.
It is hoped Jofra Archer will be fit enough for red-ball cricket by then and there are high hopes for Josh Tongue, who made a good first impression last summer but is currently laid low by injury.
In the meantime, Stokes will continue to rely on Chris Woakes, who effectively takes the baton from Anderson and Broad as a more traditional English seamer.
Woakes will take the new ball on his 50th cap in Nottingham and has a new role to play as the senior head in the attack.
“I see it as an opportunity for someone like Woakesy to take on more of a leadership role in the bowling unit,” Stokes said.
“We’ve been so used to Jimmy and Broady doing that, so it’s a great opportunity for him. He’s a very experienced player and a phenomenal performer, particularly in England.
“It’s great for him to be able to lead the attack and 50 caps is a huge honour.”