It was the kind of lower-order demolition job once associated with West Indies, but on a heady third day at Edgbaston the tourists were the ones on the receiving end. Roared on by a capacity crowd after lunch, Mark Wood unleashed a truly electric burst of fast-twitch reverse swing that secured a 3-0 series clean sweep for England.
Not even Ben Stokes promoting himself to opener and crashing the fastest half-century by an Englishman – 24 balls, beating Ian Botham’s long-held record by four – could knock Wood off the top of the podium after this 10-wicket win. Stokes was murderous, no question, a target of 82 vaporised in about 40 minutes. But Wood, luckless in Nottingham last week despite bowling like the speed of light, was the catalyst here.
Even with a sense of inevitability about the end result after Jamie Smith’s stylish 95 led England’s turnaround on the second day, there was still a job to be done. And after West Indies hustled to 151 for five by lunch – a lead of 57 runs – it looked like that job would involve a good deal of patience. Kavem Hodge was well set on 52, while England knew plenty about the battling qualities of Joshua Da Silva at the other end.
Enter Wood, who was thrown a 41-over old ball by Stokes after the break and set off on a white-knuckle ride. He claimed five wickets in 21 deliveries and each one was met with a collective gasp. Attention may be on the Olympics, where all manner of remarkable feats are being delivered, but this was something to rival all that from a bowler who has a strong claim to be the fastest in England’s history.