Ben Stokes makes history by beating Ian Botham record as England canter to clean sweep test series win over West Indies
THE fast was Mark Wood’s bowling and the absolutely furious was Ben Stokes’ batting.
Durham’s dynamic duo combined to accelerate England to another crushing victory by ten wickets in the Second Test and a 3-0 series clean sweep.
Wood has been itching for weeks to turn his express speed into a beautiful bounty of wickets.
And finally, on the last day of the series, he collected the haul he craved with a devastating spell of reverse swing bowling.
He took the last five wickets for nine runs after lunch and destroyed West Indies’ middle and lower order. It was scintillating and it was spectacular.
And then Stokes, opening because Zak Crawley fractured his right little finger when dropping a catch, bludgeoned a half-century from just 24 balls.
It was England’s fastest Test fifty of all time, beating Ian Botham’s 28-ball effort against India in 1981, and the joint third-fastest by any country.
Stokes and Ben Duckett scored so quickly that England passed their target of 82 in just 7.2 overs. That’s Bazball on heat.
Captain Stokes was bang on when he said before the game that someone was going to pay for Wood’s lack of luck so far this summer.
Wood increased his haul in the series from four in his first three innings – when he beat the bat dozens of times – to nine. And he deserved every one of them.
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He sent down a string of inswinging full balls and yorkers – interspersed with the occasional bouncer – that shattered the stumps and spirit of the Windies’ batters.
Mikyle Louis and Kavem Hodge made half-centuries for the Windies but the next highest score was 12.
Stokes said: “Woody was phenomenal. He’s walked off with five wickets but I still don’t think he’s got the rewards he deserves for the effort he’s put in. He’s been incredible.
“That spell was awesome. Not only was it fast but it was extremely skilful when I sensed it was time to blow them away. Woody has that express pace and, with the ball reversing, it is going to be even harder to face.
“That’s why I love having someone like Woody in the playing XI. You feel he can do something and blow the game open.”
On his decision to promote himself to the makeshift opener, Stokes added: “I wanted to keep all the other batters in their normal positions.
“I was always going to try to be ultra-positive and the new ball feels better off the bat than a slightly older, softer one! Once one hit the middle, I was like, ‘I might as well have a crack.’
“I didn’t know about the fastest fifty until Paul Collingwood told me in the dressing room but I was really just trying to hit every ball for four or six.”
West Indies were two-down overnight and left-hander Alick Athanaze was soon lbw to Shoaib Bashir. After a stand of 72 for the fourth wicket, Mikyle Louis was held at second slip by Crawley off Stokes for 57 – his first Test fifty.
Jason Holder was leg before to Gus Atkinson and then Wood began his destruction with his five straight wickets.
Josh da Silva was lbw, Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales bowled, Hodge caught behind and, to clinch victory, Shamar Joseph held by Harry Brook at second slip.
Stokes went in first and it was immediately clear he was in a hurry. He struck nine fours and two sixes and ended with 57 not out from 28 balls. Duckett’s four-fours came in a single over from Holder.
Rocky Flintoff, son of former England captain Andrew, became the youngest player in Lancashire’s history when he made his debut against Kent aged 16 years and 112 days.
Flintoff was stumped for 12 in a 50-over cup match at Blackpool.