It’s always a great sight to watch a fast bowler run-in with the wind and bowl as fast as it could get in Test cricket. The batters hardly enjoy the contest, but as a fan of the game, it always gets quite exciting. The England red-ball captain Ben Stokes has made his pick for the bowler who could break the 100mph barrier in the five-day game.
As of now, Australia’s left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc holds the current record for the fastest delivery in a Test match. He bowled a delivery against New Zealand in 2015, which clocked 99.6 mph (160.29 kmph) in the speedometer.
When it comes to international cricket across all the formats, the former expressive pacer of Pakistan, Shoaib Akhtar sits at the top with the recorded delivery of 100.2 mph (161.25 kmph), which he bowled against England in 2003. However, there had been instances when the bowlers have bowled fast during the past era when there were no records of their speed.
‘Being able to sustain that pace is…’- Ben Stokes
The England Test captain Ben Stokes believes that Mark Wood has the skill and potential to become the first bowler to exceed 100 mph in a Test match. The Durham bowler almost did it during the second of the three-match Test series against West Indies in Trent Bridge when he reached a top speed of 97.1 mph.
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The home side secured an easy victory by 241 runs in their game, to take an unbreakable 2-0 lead in the series, after their two-day victory at Lord’s during the first Test.
Wood claimed two wickets in the game, where he managed to raise questions among the opponent batters with his pace. Besides that, he also contributed to the change of playing eleven for the West Indies team for the final Test of the series.
The delivery from Mark Wood hit Kevin Sinclair’s forearm, and it got fractured, ruling him out of the game, which prompted a change in their Test squad. Ben Stokes believes that his bowler bowled with some rapid pace even after not being 100% fit.
The New Zealand-born, during the pre-match press conference of the third Test match, informed his delight to find the bowler in such a good rhythm at the start of the summer.
‘I don’t know if he’s actually too bothered about it. 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.’ Ben Stokes expressed.
The all-rounder also pointed out that Wood’s average pace had been over 90mph in every Test match, as the team expected to see him clicking 90mpn in every single spell.
‘Being able to sustain that pacer is quite phenomenal. His average speed every time he plays a Test match is always above 90mph.’ Ben Stokes remarked looking at the physical demands of such efforts with the ball in hand. ‘It’s all fine and well trying to bowl one spell above 90 but every spell he bowls for England he’s clocking over 90mph.’
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The veteran displayed his satisfaction with Wood’s current form, besides considering how injuries had made the journey quite tough for Mark Wood in his 35-match Test career.
‘You have to hold your hands up and celebrate what we have there. He (Wood) has got the heart of a lion. He runs in spell after spell, ball after ball. When he bowls, the whole game changes.’ Ben Stokes concluded. ‘When his name is read out, the whole crowd is up, then when the speeds are on the big screen, everyone gets going.’
The last Test of the series will start on July 27, at Edgbaston in Birmingham, as Mark Wood is expected to come up with more gas in the game.