England's Mark Wood Edges Closer to 100mph Milestone

 

England's Mark Wood Edges Closer to 100mph Milestone

Trent Bridge, England – England captain Ben Stokes has revealed that fast bowler Mark Wood is edging "closer and closer" to breaking the coveted 100mph barrier. The 34-year-old paceman, who recently reached 97.1mph during a spell on the second morning of the second Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge, is showing no signs of slowing down.

Wood, a key player from Durham, has a top recorded speed of 97.73mph. Only three bowlers—Shoaib Akhtar of Pakistan, and Australians Brett Lee and Shaun Tait—are believed to have surpassed the 100mph mark in international matches.

“He’s got it in the tank,” Stokes commented. “He’s been close a couple of times. Maybe one day."

Wood remains an integral part of an unchanged England team set to face the Windies in the third Test, which begins on Friday. When asked about Wood’s impressive speeds, Stokes added, “It’s not surprising. It’s great to watch. I’d much rather have him in my team than facing him as an opposition with my helmet and pads on.”

Last Friday morning, Wood averaged a blistering 94.47mph in the second over of his first spell at Trent Bridge, marking the fastest recorded over by an England bowler in a home Test. His fastest delivery of 97.73mph was clocked against David Warner during the Boxing Day Ashes Test in 2021.

Accurately measuring bowling speeds is a challenge, and while Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee, and Shaun Tait are recognized for breaching the 100mph threshold in limited-overs cricket, data analysts at Cricviz have disputed these speeds.

As Wood continues to push the boundaries of fast bowling, cricket fans around the world will be watching closely to see if he can achieve the extraordinary feat of reaching 100mph, a milestone that would further cement his place in cricketing history.