Ben Stokes went on record to state that he strongly believes that Mark Wood has it in him to hit the 100-mph mark as a bowler in Test cricket. Stokes said this after Wood’s explosive play at Trent Bridge last week, where he hit 97.1 MPH. Wood’s performance was so good that it led to an alteration in the West Indies team for the next cricket match set for Edgbaston on Friday.
Kevin Sinclair, who, in defending himself from one of Wood’s bouncer, suffered a fractured forearm. He is unavailable due to his injury.
Fast bowling spearhead of Australia Mitchell Starc holds the record for bowling the fastest delivery in test cricket, at 99 mph against New Zealand in the year 2015. At the same time, the international record for speed belongs to one of Pakistan’s famous bowlers, Shoaib Akhtar. The Rawalpindi Express bowled a ball at a speed of 100. 2 mph against England in 2003.
Mark Wood may well achieve it and Stokes said that he still has more in him, meaning that he could go beyond this level and attain 100 mph. Still, Stokes thinks that Mark is not bothered by it. However, at the same time, Stokes was also focusing on the consistency of Wood and the fact that he continues to deliver extraordinary bolting.
Mark Wood’s Consistent Pacing and Impact
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Ben Stokes said that Mark Wood was good at sustaining a fast bowling rate throughout any particular period. The captain further stated that the bowler pitches close to 100 mph more often and he does not mind that as he is content with the overall performance. He also spoke about how Mark Wood retained at least an average of over 90 mph in every Test match, especially during the Trent Bridge Test, where Wood’s repulsive bowling average speed was recorded to be 91.
During this phase, the player runs at a speed of 2 mph, which is equivalent to a ball being 22 yards when it takes 0. 493 seconds. Of course, bringing the delivery speed to 100 mph would shave only a little more than a second off this time—0.043 seconds may seem like a small amount of time, but the effect that Mark Wood’s speed has had is significant.
He says Wood is an example of a player who possesses the heart of a lion and is in a position to alter the face tempo of a game. A similar experience is produced with the bowler, where fans cheer for him when his speeds are depicted on the screen. Stokes pointed out the fact that Wood, himself, was keen on recording his speeds, which testified to his passion for aggressive pace bowling and the side’s performance.
England and West Indies Team Updates
England have named their squad as the same one and are preparing to clinch the series by 3-0. On the other hand, the West Indies have had to make changes in their team by including Gudakesh Motie in the team roster for Sinclair. They have also listed Akeem Jordan as a substitute if Shamar Joseph is still suffering from a virus.
Jordan has not played for England in the Test match, but his play for Aston Manor in the Warwickshire County League and West Bromwich Dartmouth in the Birmingham & District League will be beneficial. The deciding matches in the series will showcase the games and abilities of such a standout performer as Mark Wood, who continues to impress cricket fans globally with his speed and technique.
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