England vs West Indies: Wood and Stokes shine in 10-wicket win to seal series whitewash
Mark Wood (5-40) claimed 5 wickets for just 9 runs in a six-over spell after lunch, while captain Ben Stokes scored England’s fastest-ever Test fifty in just 24 balls as the hosts chased down 82 runs in only 7.2 overs. Catch all 68 games of The Hundred live on Sky Sports Cricket.
Mark Wood’s blistering fast-bowling display – the final five West Indies wickets fell to him – and Ben Stokes’ record fifty, off just 24 balls, meant England cruised to their target, winning by 10 wickets at Edgbaston to complete a 3-0 series sweep.
Wood (5-40) began day three without much luck, but after lunch, he took five wickets for just nine runs over six overs, including sending Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales’ stumps cartwheeling out of the ground.
Mikyle Louis (57) and Kavem Hodge (55) displayed considerable resilience with their battling half-centuries—Louis’s first in Test cricket—as the West Indies gained a narrow lead.
However, England captain Ben Stokes made quick work of chasing the 82 runs needed, stepping in at the top of the order for Zak Crawley, who was off getting his right index finger scanned after injuring it during the morning session.
Stokes (55* off 28 balls) blasted nine boundaries and two sixes to achieve the fastest-ever Test fifty for England, surpassing Sir Ian Botham’s previous 28-ball record. The hosts chased down their target in just 7.2 overs, sealing a series whitewash in spectacular fashion.
West Indies resumed the day at 33-2 in their second innings, still 61 runs behind, and England quickly bolstered their position by dismissing Alick Athanaze (12) in the seventh over. Athanaze was out lbw to Shoaib Bashir (1-41) shortly after Harry Brook had dropped him off a previous delivery from Wood.
Hodge was also given a reprieve on the very first ball he faced, as a challenging chance slipped past Joe Root’s outstretched left hand at slip.
As Stokes (1-42) began to assert his dominance, he provided the crucial breakthrough by inducing Louis to edge a catch behind to Jamie Smith.
Crawley suffered an injury while dropping Jason Holder on 12 at second slip, but it didn’t impact England as Gus Atkinson (2-28) dismissed Holder in the next over without him adding to his score. Holder was slightly unlucky with a marginal lbw decision that just clipped leg stump.
Hodge, who had reached a vibrant half-century off 56 balls, found it difficult to score after lunch, managing only three runs from 18 deliveries as Wood’s match-winning spell continued.
Wood, utilizing reverse swing, first dismissed the resilient Joshua Da Silva (5) lbw, and then bowled Alzarri (2) with a fierce yorker that shattered his middle stump.
In a rapid sequence, the West Indies innings concluded with three wickets in one over: Hodge was caught, Seales (0) had his off stump flattened, and Shamar Joseph (4) edged a drive to Brook.
Just 7.2 overs later, Stokes’ 24-ball fifty, which briefly challenged Misbah-ul-Haq’s 21-ball Test record, secured the win. Ben Duckett (25* off 16) played a supporting role, hitting four boundaries in one over from Holder. Stokes sealed the victory with a second six over deep square-leg.