England’s captain Ben Stokes smashed a record-breaking half-century, the fastest for his country in Tests, as England clinched a comprehensive victory over West Indies to win the three-match series 3-0 at Edgbaston. Stokes’ blistering 24-ball fifty helped England chase down a target of 82 in just 7.2 overs on Sunday. The victory completed a series whitewash for England, with a dominant performance in Birmingham led by Mark Wood’s superb bowling display which restricted West Indies to 175 runs.
Wood’s exceptional five-wicket haul for 40 runs played a crucial role in dismantling the West Indies’ batting line-up, with all five wickets falling in a spell where he conceded only nine runs.
In the chase, Stokes (57* off 28 balls, including nine fours and two sixes) and Ben Duckett (25* off 16 balls, with four boundaries) opened the innings and attacked from the start. Stokes smashed four boundaries in the first two overs, scoring his fifty off just 24 balls, setting a new record for the fastest Test fifty by an Englishman. The skipper’s innings was the joint-third-fastest fifty in Test cricket history.
Misbah-ul-Haq holds the record for the fastest Test fifty, scoring one off 21 balls against Australia in 2014.
In the match, West Indies won the toss and chose to bat. Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite’s half-century (61 off 86 balls, with eight fours) and contributions from Jason Holder (59 off 112 balls, with six fours and a six) and Joshua Da Silva (49 off 99 balls, with three fours) helped West Indies post 282/10 in their first innings. Gus Atkinson (4/67) and Chris Woakes (3/69) impressed for England with the ball.
In response, England recovered from a shaky start with a 115-run partnership between Joe Root (87 off 124 balls, with seven fours) and Stokes (54 off 69 balls, with five fours and a six), followed by a strong showing from Jamie Smith (95 off 109 balls, with 12 fours and a six) and Woakes (62 off 78 balls, with seven fours). England overtook West Indies’ first-innings total, finishing at 376 all-out, leading by 94 runs. Alzarri Joseph (4/122) was the standout bowler for West Indies.
In their second innings, West Indies faltered, with Mikyle Louis (57 off 95 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Kavem Hodge (55 off 76 balls, with seven fours) scoring half-centuries as they were bowled out for just 175 runs, setting England a target of 82 runs to win.
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