England Captain Hails Wood’s 97mph Speeds

England captain Ben Stokes has noted that fast bowler Mark Wood is edging closer to breaking the 100mph barrier. During the second Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge, Wood, aged 34 reached a speed of 97.1mph, just shy of his top recorded speed of 97.73mph. Only three bowlers have exceeded 100mph in international cricket.

Stokes expressed confidence in Wood’s potential, saying, “He’s got it in the tank. He’s been close a couple of times. Maybe one day.” England selected Wood for the unchanged squad for the upcoming third Test against the West Indies, starting Friday.

Stokes wasn’t surprised by Wood’s ability to hit speeds of 97mph, calling it “great to watch” and preferring to have Wood on his team rather than face him as an opponent. Last week at Trent Bridge, Wood averaged 94.47mph in the second over of his first spell, marking the fastest recorded over by an England bowler in a home Test.

He recorded his highest speed of 97.73mph during the 2021 Boxing Day Ashes Test against Australia’s David Warner. While measuring bowling speeds accurately can be challenging, Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee and Shaun Tait are the only bowlers who have reached over 100mph in limited-overs cricket.

However, Cricviz disputes these speeds. Australia’s Mitchell Johnson holds the record for the fastest Test delivery at 99.3mph, achieved in 2010. England captain Ben Stokes revealed that Wood frequently checks his speed on the big screen.

He also noted that Wood consistently bowls above 90mph in Test matches, demonstrating his impressive fitness and endurance. Stokes concluded that while breaking the 100mph mark remains a possibility, he remains highly satisfied with Wood’s current performance.