Edgbaston [UK], July 29 (ANI): England skipper Ben Stokes slammed a record-breaking half-century, the fastest for his country in Tests, as an all-round England triumphed over the West Indies to secure the three-match series 3-0 at Edgbaston.
England sealed a series whitewash with a comprehensive win in Birmingham on Sunday against the West Indies. Stokes slammed a 24-ball half-century as England chased down a target of 82 in 7.2 overs.
Stokes’ effort is the fastest Test fifty by an Englishman. It was also the joint-third-fastest fifty in Test cricket. Misbah-ul-Haq holds the record for the fastest fifty in Tests, making a half-century off just 21 balls against Australia in 2014.
Stokes-Ben Duckett’s partnership of 87 in just 44 balls is the fastest-ever fifty-plus run partnership in Tests, coming with a run rate of 11.86 per over, outdoing the efforts of former batters Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan’s 50* (30) against Sri Lanka in Manchester, 2002.
England’s fifty came in just 4.2 overs, which is the fastest in Test cricket history.
Stokes became the fastest scoring opener in men’s Tests with at least 100 runs made, with a strike rate of 158.82, which now sits comfortably at the top, as per Wisden.
Young pacer Gus Atkinson finished as the leading wicket-taker in the series with 22 scalps, which is the best tally by an England bowler in a three-match series since Ryan Sidebottom’s 24 in 2008. Atkinson’s tally of 22 wickets is also the best in a three-match home bilateral series for an English bowler since Ian Botham’s 24 wickets against New Zealand in 2008.
In the match, the West Indies had won the toss and elected to bat first. A half-century from skipper Kraigg Braithwaite (61 in 86 balls, with eight fours) and fine contributions from Jason Holder (59 in 112 balls, with six fours and a six) and wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva (49 in 99 balls, with three fours) helped WI reach 282/10 in their first inning. Gus Atkinson (4/67) and Chris Woakes (3/69) were the pick of the bowlers for England.
In their first innings, England replied strongly despite a tough start. When the hosts were struggling at 54/5, a 115-run partnership between Joe Root (87 in 124 balls, with seven fours) and Stokes (54 in 69 balls, with five fours and a six) helped England stabilise. Then, wicketkeeper Jamie Smith (95 in 109 balls, with 12 fours and a six), along with all-rounder Woakes (62 in 78 balls, with seven fours), helped England overtake WI’s first innings score and end up at 376 all-out, leading by 94 runs. Alzarri Joseph (4/122) was the pick of the bowlers for WI.
In their second inning, WI showed very little resistance, with Mikyle Louis (57 in 95 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Kavem Hodge (55 in 76 balls, with seven fours) getting half-centuries as they were bundled out for just 175 runs, giving England an 82 run target to chase.
Wood took five for 40, with all five wickets coming in a spell where he conceded just nine runs. (ANI)
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