England captain Ben Stokes believes Mark Wood can become the first bowler to be clocked in excess of 100mph (161kmh) during a Test match following his Durham team-mate’s thrilling display at Trent Bridge. Wood hit a top speed of 97.1mph as England won the second Test against the West Indies by 241 runs to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in a three-match series ahead of this week’s finale at Edgbaston.
The 34-year-old only took two wickets in the match but the effect of his sheer pace contributed to successes at the other end, notably for off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, who sealed England’s first series win since 2002 with a second-innings haul of 5-41.
And Wood made his presence felt more directly by forcing West Indies to change their side for a third Test starting Friday when he fractured the forearm of Kevin Sinclair with a rapid bouncer. Australia’s Mitchell Starc holds the current record for the fastest recorded delivery in a Test, at 99.6mph against New Zealand in 2015.