Mark Wood ‘has it in the tank’ to hit 100mph, insists Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes believes Mark Wood “has it in the tank” to top 100mph this summer after he broke the arm of West Indies’ Kevin Sinclair with a thunderbolt at Trent Bridge.

At Edgbaston on Friday, Wood takes his place in an unchanged England XI – meaning there is no debut for Dillon Pennington or recall for Matthew Potts – but Sinclair misses out for West Indies.

The ball that broke Sinclair’s forearm clipped his glove and looped to second slip, which meant the 92mph delivery ended his series. Wood’s performance was the fastest by an England quick since ball-tracking data was introduced in 2006, and his quickest ball was 97.1mph.

The fastest he has been recorded for England was 97.7mph at Melbourne in 2021, but Stokes believes he has it “in the locker” to top 100mph. The fastest ball recorded in Test cricket was 99.66mph by Australia’s Mitchell Starc in 2015, while Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar was famously clocked at 100mph in an ODI against England in 2003.

“He seems to be getting closer and closer to that [100mph], but I’m happy with what he’s doing right now,” said Stokes. “Being able to sustain that pace is quite phenomenal. Look at his average speeds every time he plays a Test match it’s always above 90mph. That says a lot about his fitness. It’s all fine and well trying to bowl one spell above 90 but every spell he bowls for England he’s clocking over 90mph and that’s a great thing to have as a captain.

“I’d much rather have him in my team rather than having to have my helmet and pads on facing him as an opposition.

“I don’t know if he’s actually too bothered about 100mph. One day everything might click or the speed gun might be wrong. Who knows? But look I’m happy as Larry him running up and bowling it 97mph his fastest and he’s still averaging 92mph so that’s pretty good.

“We probably wouldn’t hear the end of it. Who knows? He’s got it in the tank. He’s been close a couple of times. Maybe one day.”

Stokes said that, while Sinclair was one of just two wickets taken by Wood last week, a big haul was round the corner.

“When the speed comes up on the screen, you know it’s quick,” he said. “Even in his second or third spells, you have to hold your hands up and celebrate what we have there. He’s got the heart of a lion. He runs in spell after spell, ball after ball. Although he didn’t get the rewards he wanted last week, he knows he affects the game in more than just wickets. That showed last week. I think someone will pay this summer, either West Indies this game or Sri Lanka.

“The whole game changes. When his name gets read out, the. whole crowd is up, then when the speeds are on the big screen, everyone gets going. Woody is always looking up at the screen as well to see what he’s clocking. That’s part of his place in the team. He knows he’s in the team to not only bowl skilfully, but also fast. That’s why Dillon and Pottsy will no doubt get an opportunity. If Woody isn’t feeling 100%, is there any point in playing him, because of why he’s in the team? What he does is very tough on the body.”

Stokes further reassured Pennington and Potts that they would come into the XI soon, but said that despite pre-series rhetoric about building for the Ashes, they were looking to win every game, hence sticking with Wood, Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson.

“We are 2-0 up, with two very good all-round team performances,” he said. “So it’s a pretty easy decision to stick with the same XI. And, yeah, we want to wrap up a series and hopefully take it 3-0.

“I think that [opportunity for Potts and Pennington] will come naturally. We’ve got six Test matches [this summer], even though we’ve got a decent break, but there’s the Hundred to be played in between that.

“Dillon and Pottsy have earned their place in the squad although they’ve not got the opportunity. You’d much rather they are in an environment where the team is winning and even though you’re not playing you still hope that in training and all the conversations that go around training is adding to them as players.

Stokes, meanwhile, refused to be drawn on his white-ball international future at a time of flux for the national team. Stokes reversed his retirement from ODIs to play in last years World Cup in India, before withdrawing from the T20 World Cup to focus on Test cricket earlier this year. He did, however, say that England’s hectic schedule “needs to be addressed” ahead of another busy period, and called for administrators to bring players in to the discussions.

Meanwhile, Sinclair will be replaced in West Indies’ team by left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, who missed Trent Bridge through illness. Shamar Joseph is a doubt with illness, which could mean a debut for Barbadian Akeem Jordan, who has been playing for West Bromwich Dartmouth CC.