Mark Wood has been a constant threat to Australian batsmen this summer. exist. It was the Ashes of 2019 and Jofra Archer was in the midst of one of the most exhilarating spells the Englishman has ever played. For most of those four years, a fully fit Archer was considered a prerequisite for the hopes of the English Ashes.
For good reason: It's been generations – possibly as far back as Frank Tyson in 1954/55 – since the English bowler showed Ashes as fast and venomous as Archer. The preoccupation with his physical form has since been understandable. But it also obscured the fact that England have another rapid player who is just as important.
On the third day at Old Trafford, 25 overs for an Australian serve had expired. Mark Wood only put in six balls. But what were those six balls: a long sprint to the wicket, culminating in a short man – 5ft 10in – exploding into a crease and what he called “noodle hands” hurling the ball at 90mph. The second of these deliveries prompted Usman Khawaja to fall behind.
The curious thing was that this was all the crowd saw about Wood. To the surprise of many, Stuart Broad was taken out of England's fastest bowler right after tea.
Taking Wood off at halftime was emblematic of Ben Stokes' creative thinking. This allowed Brod to play against David Warner and Marnus Labouchagne, two batsmen he has well-thought plans against, along with Chris Woeks. Both bowlers move the new ball more often than Wood and rely more on the hardness of the ball for their effectiveness.
Wood's quick removal from attack allowed England to save him for when they needed him most. Without the fast pace offered by him or Archer, England often suffered when wickets flattened out. Keeping Wood fresh ensured that Stokes could call him back to attack after others had enjoyed the fruits of the new ball. Other fast Englishmen could threaten, albeit in a very different way, with a new ball; only Wood posed the same danger as the older one. The seam or swing depends on the vicissitudes of the ball; the speed depends only on the bowler player.
So the crowd at Old Trafford cheered in anticipation as they saw Wood marking his run and getting ready to bowl. Wood is one of the most popular cricketers in England, not only because of his intoxicating speed, but also because of the feeling of a man who gives every iota of himself to the cause of his team. Despite the cliché that every Test should be the last, there is no other choice for Wood: Since his debut in 2015, he has missed 80 Test matches, almost all due to injury. came to England's aid when they needed wickets. Photo: AP/Rui Viera
However, England's excitement about Wood's return to attack was based on more than just his speed. He was seen hiding the ball during the run-up: an indication that he was trying to extract a backswing, a skill for which his actions are well suited. In the second over of his spell, after delivering the ball from just outside the crease, Wood kicked the ball back right past the stump of Marnus Labouchagne: the late move and batsman's exit reminded Simon Jones of Michael Clarke's classic back kick removal on this field in 2005.
The ball later, Wood was taken out of attack again. This time, his absence was much shorter, with Wood's spell from Brian Statham End limited to two overs, allowing him to switch to James Anderson End, who offered a more uneven rebound. After attacking the stumps with his first two serves, Wood fired the bouncer around the corner at Steve Smith: a clumsy spurt of the paddle gave a thin edge well caught by Johnny Bairstow.
Smith, as he likes to point out, was never actually fired by Archer in the 2019 Ashes. Since the start of the 2021/22 Ashes, Wood has sent him off four times at 10 runs apiece. And Wood brushed Smith off in different ways: in the first inning at Old Trafford, Smith was fat, and his speed gave way to a more direct ball.
As Wood was consumed by his teammates, he was also able to celebrate an important personal milestone: it was his 100th Test wicket. Two days after Stuart Broad's 600, that figure seems a little disappointing. But it is still a sign to be cherished; even more so considering all the injuries Wood went through to get there. It's not just a triumph of speed and underappreciated versatility – see how he readily switched his attack from a short ball to three misses depending on which Australian batsman lay in wait – but also of genuine tenacity.
It's also a triumph for Michael Holding. Four years ago in St. Lucia, a former representative of the West Indies recommended that Wood increase the run-up time. Whereas prior to Holding's intervention he averaged 42 goals per wicket, since then Wood has averaged 24 goals per wicket. No bowler in Test cricket has a higher average speed during this period. England used to envy the rapid wealth of Australia; in the last two Tests, the cheetah was theirs.
Ten balls after trapping Smith, Wood delivered an even better encore: a vicious pitch hit Travis Head, who threw the ball with a spoon into Galli's hands. Although England would like to be able to link them together, Wood will prove to be just as dangerous to Australia in 2023 as Archer was four years ago.
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