Mark Wood bowls fastest delivery of his Test career while breaking an ENG record

It is common knowledge that Mark Wood bowls thunderbolts. It comes as naturally to him as sleep catches up with a corporate employee on a slow working day after lunch. 

In a promotional Q&A video before the 2024 T20 World Cup last month, Jofra Archer unwillingly accepted that Wood is quicker than him as a fast bowler. He had proudly turned down the name of at least 10 to 15 fast bowlers before Wood’s name came up. You could see the reluctance on Archer’s face. 

On Friday (July 19), Wood recorded the quickest over by an England seamer at home since records are being kept. Bowling to the West Indies’ opener Mikyle Louis in the 14th over, Wood recorded each of his six deliveries at 150 kmph or above. The fifth delivery of the over was bowled at 97.1 mph, ie 156.26 kmph. It is the quickest delivery Wood has bowled in his Test career as yet, playing his 35th Test at Trent Bridge. Previously, his quickest delivery was bowled to Kane Williamson at 154.2 kmph in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s in 2021. 

The average speed in the over turned out to be 152.66 kph. 

It was only the third over of Wood’s spell. However, with his innate ability to generate pace from the word go, the seamer cranked up the pace without breaking a sweat. In fact, his average speed in the first over was 152.64 kmph, which was the record in itself before Wood improved upon it.

Louis, playing only the second Test and the ninth first-class match of his career, played out a maiden. He left three of these deliveries, was beaten on one and defended twice on the back foot. On the fastest ball of the over, he dropped his hands, letting it go past his head. However, Louis was out in the next over, trying to take on the off-spinner, Shoaib Bashir. 

Pace is the reason why Wood was drafted into this Test. The Durham pacer wasn’t a part of the squad and replaced the retired James Anderson ahead of Matthew Potts and Dillon Pennington who were originally picked in the squad announced for the first two Tests. However, the conditions in Nottingham were expected to be flat and dry. With a lack of lateral movement, England must have felt the need for express pace to upset the opposition batters. 

While Wood did crank up the pace, he is yet to pick a wicket, bowling nine overs for 40 runs by the end of his second spell.

If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out — big time. Play Fantasy on Cricket.com NOW! Download the App here.