“Heart of a lion”: Stokes backs Wood to touch 100 mph mark in Test cricket

Edgbaston [UK], July 26 (ANI): England Test captain Ben Stokes backed pacer Mark Wood to touch the 100 mph mark while bowling in the long format, lauding the bowler for his “heart of a lion”.

The third and final Test of the home series against West Indies will take place from Friday onwards.

During the second Test at Nottingham, Wood delivered the fastest over bowled by an English bowler at home since the beginning of data recording for the same in 2006. In his third over on day two of the match, the scoreboard at the stadium displayed Wood’s speed on the fifth ball at 97 mph, translating to 156 kmph. The speed throughout the over was 95 mph, 93 mph, 95 mph, 96 mph, 97 mph and 94 mph, as per ESPNCricinfo’s data. Wood ended the over with an average speed of 95 mph, breaking his own record that he had set just two overs ago!

Speaking ahead of the game, Stokes said about Wood that he is pretty close to the coveted 100 mph mark and how being able to bowl that pace at a sustained level is phenomenal.

“He seems to be getting closer and closer to that [100mph mark], but I am happy with what he is doing now, to be honest. Being able to sustain that pace is quite phenomenal,” said Stokes.

“His average speed every time he plays a Test match is always above 90mph. It is all fine and well trying to bowl one spell above 90 but every spell he bowls for England he is clocking over 90mph,” he added.

Notably, the fastest Test delivery is by Australia’s Mitchell Starc, registering 99.66 mph on speed guns against New Zealand back in 2015. But the 100 mph mark was already crossed in international cricket way back in 2003 World Cup, when Shoaib Akhtar bowled a delivery of 100.2 mph.

Stokes said that one needs to celebrate what Wood offers with the ball, running relentlessly and changing game with every spell of his.

“He has got the heart of a lion. He runs in spell after spell, ball after ball. When he bowls the whole game changes.

“When his name is read out the whole crowd is up, then when the speeds are on the big screen everyone gets going. Woody is always looking up at the screen to see what he is clocking. He knows he is in the team to not only bowl skilfully, but also fast,” he concluded.

England announced their playing XI for the final Test. England took an unassailable lead following their thumping 241-run win over the Caribbean side in the second Test in Nottingham.

England will be keen to complete the whitewash and improve their standing in the World Test Championship table.

They moved off the bottom of the WTC standings and kept in touch with the competition. Following the victory, they catapulted past South Africa, Bangladesh and the West Indies into sixth place on the table.

After the conclusion of the series, England will host Sri Lanka for three Tests on home soil at the end of next month. After that, the Three Lions will embark on tours of Pakistan in October and New Zealand in November and December.

After 12 matches, England have 45 points and a percentage of 31.25. The Ben Stokes-led side has won five games, lost six and drawn one.

The West Indies fell to ninth on the standings with a 22.22 percentage following the late fadeout againstEngland at Trent Bridge and have seven Tests remaining this period against England (one), South Africa (two), Bangladesh (two) and Pakistan (two).

England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir.