Cricket

Mark Wood, England's pace sensation, has etched his name in the record books by bowling the fastest over by an England bowler on home soil. During the second Test against West Indies at Trent Bridge, Wood unleashed a barrage of thunderbolts, leaving the opposition batters in awe.In his opening over, Wood's first delivery clocked an astonishing 93.9 mph (151.1 km/h), surpassing his own previous best. He then proceeded to deliver a series of blistering deliveries, including a 96.1 mph (154.65 km/h) yorker that left opener Mikyle Louis bewildered. Wood's relentless assault continued with deliveries at 95.2 mph (152.88 km/h), 92.2 mph (148.06 km/h), and another 96.5 mph (155.30 km/h) yorker. He concluded the over with a rapid 95.2 mph (153.20 km/h) delivery to West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, achieving an average speed of 94.40 mph across the six balls.Wood's second over was equally impressive, with a sequence of deliveries recorded at 95 mph (152 km/h), 93 mph (149.66 km/h), 95 mph (152 km/h), 96 mph (154.49 km/h), 97.1 mph (156.26 km/h), and 94 mph (151.27 km/h). In his third over, he further increased the pressure with a short delivery to Louis at a blistering 97.1 mph.Wood's exceptional pace has been a consistent feature throughout his career. In 2022, he delivered the quickest ball in Test history, clocking an impressive 156.6 kmph during the Multan Test against Pakistan. He also showcased his blistering speed during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, where he bowled the tournament's fastest delivery at 154.74 km/h against New Zealand. Wood's name appeared six times in the list of the top 10 fastest deliveries of the World Cup, with each of those balls surpassing 153 km/h.Wood's remarkable pace has not only earned him records but has also played a crucial role in England's recent successes. In the 2019 ODI World Cup final at Lord's, he bowled the tournament's quickest delivery, reaching 154 km/h against New Zealand's Henry Nicholls. His ability to generate such high speeds consistently makes him one of the most feared bowlers in world cricket.

England cricket legend Stuart Broad unveiled the "Pavilion End" named after him at Trent Bridge cricket stadium ahead of the second Test match between England and West Indies on July 18. The 38-year-old represented England from 2006-2023, playing his last international game, an Ashes Test match against Australia, in July last year.Broad's parents were also present at the stadium during the unveiling ceremony. In 344 international matches, he took 847 wickets at an average of 27.83, with the best figures of 8/15. Broad is the seventh-highest wicket taker in international cricket history and England's second-highest wicket-taker behind James Anderson (991 wickets), who also announced his retirement after a win in the first Test at Lord's.He also scored 4,309 runs at an average of 16.44, with a century and 13 fifties. He was particularly dominant in Tests, taking 604 wickets at an average of 27.68, with the best figures of 8/15. He is currently the fifth-highest wicket-taker in Tests and England's second-highest wicket-taker behind Anderson (704 wickets), with whom he formed a dominant pace duo over the years.Notably, Broad was also a handy batter, scoring 3,662 runs at an average of 18.03, with all of his international centuries and fifties coming in the Test format. His best score was 169.Currently, England are leading the three-match Test series after beating the West Indies by an innings and 114 runs in the first match. England made only one change in its playing eleven for the second Test, with Mark Wood coming in for pace legend James Anderson, who retired from international cricket after a win in the first Test at Lord's.

The second Test match between England and West Indies commenced at Trent Bridge on Thursday, with West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite opting to field after winning the toss. The visitors were forced to make a late change to their playing XI, with spinner Gudakesh Motie ruled out due to illness and replaced by Kevin Sinclair.England's openers, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, faced the first over from Alzarri Joseph. Crawley was dismissed for a duck in the third over, caught at third slip by Alick Athanaze after edging a delivery that shaped away. Ollie Pope joined Duckett at the crease and the pair put on a 23-run partnership before Duckett was caught behind off Jayden Seales for 19.Pope continued to score freely, hitting four boundaries in his innings of 24 before he was dismissed by Joseph. Harry Brook and Joe Root then steadied the England innings, adding 45 runs for the fourth wicket. Brook was eventually dismissed for 25, caught at gully off Seales, while Root was out for 26, caught at short leg off Sinclair.Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith put on a brief partnership before Stokes was dismissed for 18, caught at mid-wicket off Sinclair. Smith and Chris Woakes then added 30 runs for the seventh wicket before Smith was dismissed for 20, caught at slip off Seales.Woakes and Gus Atkinson put on a further 25 runs before Woakes was dismissed for 24, caught at mid-wicket off Sinclair. Atkinson and Mark Wood then added 15 runs for the ninth wicket before Atkinson was dismissed for 12, caught at slip off Seales.Wood and Shoaib Bashir added a further 10 runs before Wood was dismissed for 15, caught at mid-wicket off Sinclair. Bashir remained unbeaten on 10 as England were bowled out for 219 in 64.3 overs.Seales was the pick of the West Indies bowlers, taking 4-55, while Sinclair claimed 3-33. Joseph and Shamar Joseph also took two wickets each.

England's preparations for the second Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge have been thrown into disarray as opener Ben Duckett awaits the imminent birth of his first child. Duckett, who delayed his arrival at England's training session on Tuesday to be with his fiancée, Paige, is expected to start the match on Thursday morning. However, plans are in place for any change in the situation, with spare batter Dan Lawrence primed to swap in if Duckett is pulled away before the toss.England captain Ben Stokes confirmed that Gus Atkinson will share the new ball with Chris Woakes following the retirement of James Anderson at Lord's. Atkinson, who took 7 for 45 and 5 for 61 on debut last week, is a notable promotion for the 26-year-old. Despite his relative lack of first-class experience, Stokes has full faith in Atkinson's ability to open the bowling.Stokes believes that opening with Atkinson will have a positive knock-on effect on the rest of the bowling attack, especially with the Dukes ball behaving differently in English conditions in recent years. "He just had all the attributes of a very, very good bowler. A lot of it is to do with the Dukes ball, how it has behaved," Stokes said. "There has not actually been that much movement in the air with the new ball. It's generally been off the surface, hitting the seam, and Gus is a very good exponent of that."England will be hoping that Duckett is able to play in his home Test, but they are prepared for any eventuality. Stokes has made it clear that family comes first and that Duckett will have the full support of the team whatever decision he makes.

Joshua Da Silva, the West Indies wicketkeeper-batter, has expressed his understanding of England's focus on the 2025-26 Ashes, despite their current series against the Caribbean side. Da Silva believes that England's long-term planning could inadvertently benefit West Indies if it leads to underestimation of their current opponents.England's dominant victory at Lord's, which gave them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, was overshadowed by the retirement of legendary fast bowler James Anderson. The move was made with an eye towards regaining the Ashes in Australia in two years' time.However, Da Silva does not view England's decision as a slight. He acknowledges their motivation to prepare for Australia in advance, especially if it means underestimating West Indies. "If they take us for granted, we might get a win, or might win the series," he said.West Indies' batting performance in the first Test was disappointing, with only Gudakesh Motie scoring over 30 runs. Da Silva admitted that the team had a "few soft dismissals" and that they needed to "soak up more pressure" and avoid losing wickets in clusters.Despite the setback, Da Silva remains optimistic about West Indies' chances at Trent Bridge. He believes that the team can learn from their mistakes and improve their performance. "We are doing everything we can, rebuilding, and going hard forward into the next Test," he said.Da Silva also emphasized the importance of his experience in the team, despite being only 24 years old. He is the fourth most experienced member of the squad and has scored a century against England in the past. "I hope to see that some of the boys can ask me some questions and just look up to the games that I've played," he said.Da Silva echoed head coach Andre Coley's call for a repeat of the resilience the team displayed against Australia at the start of the year, when they squared a two-match series at the Gabba after a similar loss in Adelaide. "It's something we can look at," he said. "If we can replicate that, all of us will be really happy."

West Indies coach Andre Coley has urged his team to draw inspiration from their resilience in Australia earlier this year as they seek to bounce back from a heavy defeat in the first Test against England at Lord's.In January, West Indies were thrashed by 10 wickets by Australia in the first of two Tests at Adelaide Oval. However, they responded with a famous victory at the Gabba, with Shamar Joseph taking seven second-innings wickets.Ahead of the second Test at Trent Bridge, which starts on Thursday, Coley implored his players to believe they can set up a decider at Edgbaston."They would've taken a lot of positives from that," Coley said on Monday, when asked about the Gabba Test. "In terms of how we were able to bounce back, the process that we went through to be able to do that I believe is a lot more powerful [than the result].""It reinforces the fact that in a series you could actually not start well but then compose yourself and come back in the series and be quite competitive, potentially set it up for a game-three decider. So there are real positives to be taken away, not only from the first Test here, but what we would've [faced in the] last six months."Coley suggested that his side have learned from the first Test, despite their heavy defeat."Having been here now about two weeks, having a bit of time to acclimatise to conditions and actually getting time in the middle… yes, the result was not what we would've wanted and planned for, but I do believe that there's a lot to be had in terms of learning and takeaways.""We admit that the side we have, it is young and emerging… but we are still very positive about how we are approaching the second Test. Everybody's in good spirits. We've been catching up with the players one-on-one and this will really be the first time that we'll be settled as a squad.""There's been quite a bit of activity on and off the field leading up to the first Test and it's been a lot, I can imagine, for some of our players to have been able to absorb. So it's a massive learning for everyone, players and staff, and we are still very positive as we head to Nottingham."Coley said there were positives to take from how his team fared with the ball in the first Test, having bowled England out for 371 in their only innings. But he called on his batters to try and put longer partnerships together, and also told them to raise their intensity in the field."We know the conditions will be testing: that's why it's called a Test match," he said. "We're not playing at home. Our conditions are going to be slightly different, but we do have it within our ranks to be at our best and to compete with England.""There were periods in the game where [England] actually had to show really good application and grit… Jayden Seales, Jason Holder; you had Alzarri Joseph, his pace was back up; Gudakesh Motie played a fantastic role in terms of helping the captain, Kraigg [Brathwaite] to be able to control and [took the] key wicket of the captain [Ben] Stokes.""So yes, quite a few positives. I would love to see us with a lot more intensity that we're known to show in the field. I thought in this Test match, we weren't at our best in terms of imposing ourselves on the England batters. That is definitely something that we need to be better at for the next Test."Shamar Joseph suffered stiffness in his left hamstring during the first Test, at one stage leaving the field mid-over. A CWI spokesperson said that no decision has been made on his availability for the second Test, with West Indies due to train at Trent Bridge on Tuesday morning.

James Anderson's illustrious Test career culminated at Lord's, where it had commenced 21 years ago. In the second innings, he claimed three wickets as England secured a resounding innings and 114-run victory over West Indies.Anderson's emotions were palpable after the match. "It was emotional this morning with the teams lined up and the crowd's reaction," he said. "I'm proud of playing for 20-odd years. It's an incredible effort, especially for a fast bowler."Anderson's family witnessed his final Test moment. "It's been different emotions, up and down," he said. "Walking out today was emotional. I forgot what I was trying to do with the ball."Anderson finished his Test career with 704 wickets, narrowly missing out on a 705th when he dropped a catch off his own bowling. "I'm gutted to have dropped that catch," he admitted.Throughout his career, Anderson played alongside 109 teammates. "I've been lucky to play with some amazing players," he said. "Some of the most talented cricketers ever, but more importantly, some really good blokes and friends for life."Anderson emphasized the camaraderie in cricket. "No other sport creates this sort of atmosphere, these friendships," he said. "I'm a little jealous of these lads who get to experience that for the next few years."Asked about his most cherished feeling, Anderson replied, "Winning the Test match. There's no better feeling. Sharing other people's success is incredible."While he will miss the camaraderie, Anderson admitted, "I feel about 55 after the overs I've bowled this week. I'll miss the aches and pains."Anderson's future plans remain uncertain. "I'm going to stick around for the rest of the summer," he said. "I'll try to help the bowling group out as much as I can, and we'll see where life takes us after that."

England's dominance over West Indies continued at Lord's as they secured a resounding innings and 114-run victory, completing a comprehensive triumph in the first Test.After posting a mammoth 371 in their first innings, England's bowlers wreaked havoc on the West Indies batting lineup. Gus Atkinson, making his Test debut, emerged as the star performer, claiming 12 wickets for 106 runs in the match. His exceptional performance marked the best figures by an Englishman on Test debut since 1890.James Anderson, the veteran seamer, also made a significant contribution, taking four wickets in the match, including three in the second innings. Despite missing out on a fairytale five-wicket haul, Anderson's 704th Test wicket cemented his status as one of the greatest bowlers of all time.England's batting lineup also impressed, with Zak Crawley (76), Alex Smith (70), Joe Root (68), Ollie Pope (57), and Harry Brook (50) all contributing to the team's imposing total.In the second innings, Atkinson continued his demolition of the West Indies batting order, claiming five wickets for 61 runs. Anderson chipped in with three wickets, while Stuart Broad and Jack Leach also played their part in the rout.West Indies' batting woes were evident throughout the match, with only Kyle Mayers (31) and Nkrumah Bonner (35) offering any resistance. The team's inability to build partnerships and their susceptibility to Atkinson's pace and accuracy proved costly.England's victory sets the tone for the remaining two Tests in the series. The team will be confident of continuing their dominance, while West Indies will need to find a way to improve their batting performance if they are to avoid a series whitewash.

James Anderson, the legendary English fast bowler, may be on the cusp of retirement, but he proved on Day 2 of the first Test against West Indies that his class remains undiminished.After England established a commanding 250-run lead in the first innings, Anderson returned to the bowling crease with a vengeance. Opening the attack, he struck an early blow, dismissing West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite with a superb inswinger.Anderson's delivery was a testament to his enduring skill and experience. The ball dipped low and swung back in towards the right-handed Brathwaite, who was completely deceived. It was Anderson's 702nd Test wicket, a remarkable milestone in a career that has spanned over two decades."Top class from James Anderson," remarked Ian Bishop from the commentary box. "Finally, the good bowlers will find a way through."Anderson would strike again later in the day, picking up his 703rd wicket by dismissing Alick Athanaze. West Indies ended Day 2 on 79/6, staring at an innings defeat.However, with only four more wickets left, Anderson cannot surpass Shane Warne's tally of 708 Test wickets and become the second-highest Test wicket-taker. Muttiah Muralidharan still maintains the lead at 800 Test scalps.While Anderson's farewell game has been overshadowed by his own brilliance, another pacer has emerged as a potential star for England. 26-year-old Gus Atkinson, making his Test debut, ran through the West Indies batting, picking up seven wickets in the first innings.Atkinson's remarkable debut helped England bundle out the Windies for a paltry 121. In reply, England put up 371, courtesy of half-centuries from Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, and another debutant, Jamie Smith.Atkinson had been picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of IPL 2024 but did not play a game and eventually withdrew from the squad. His performance in this Test match suggests that he has the potential to become a world-class bowler.As Anderson prepares to bid goodbye to Test cricket, the emergence of Atkinson provides a glimmer of hope for the future of English fast bowling.