Agencies
Mark Wood took five wickets in a devastating spell of fast bowling as England wrapped up a 3-0 series victory over West Indies with an emphatic 10-wicket win in the third Test.
A raucous day three Edgbaston crowd roared Wood on after the lunch interval as his 5-9 in six overs spectacularly blew away the tourists, who began the day on 33-2, for 175 in their second innings.
Set a notional 82 for victory skipper Ben Stokes then hit England’s fastest-ever Test half-century off just 24 balls, as he stepped in to open the batting.
Stokes, who finished unbeaten on 57, had opened with fellow left-hander Ben Duckett after regular opener Zak Crawley suffered a broken finger in the field.
He thrilled supporters with some archetypal Bazball hitting in a carefree knock which included nine fours and two sixes as the hosts romped to the target in just 7.2 overs.
West Indies had earlier shown some resistance thanks to a maiden Test fifty for Mikyle Louis, while Kavem Hodge also made a measured half-century, before Wood supercharged the atmosphere with a superb spell.
This was the first time in his Test career that Wood has taken five wickets in a single spell, and there were some truly eye-catching dismissals to savour.
He started by trapping Joshua Da Silva lbw with a toe-crushing full ball which the West Indies wicketkeeper knew was plumb, wasting no time in exiting stage left.
Shortly after Alzarri Joseph saw his middle stump uprooted by a delivery which tailed in past his bat before Hodge prodded at one and edged it into the gloves of Jamie Smith.
With three wickets in the bag Wood closed in the kill, as the decibel levels in the Eric Hollies Stand rose every time an over of his began.
They sensed this was fast bowling of the highest calibre, and would doubtless even have drawn nods of approval from the great West Indian quicks of yore.
Wood then sent Jayden Seales’ off stump cartwheeling out of the ground – the most spectacular dismissal of the lot - having softened up the tail ender with a short ball moments earlier.
He secured his fifth five-wicket haul in 36 Tests two balls later when Shamar Joseph edged to second slip where Harry Brook snaffled a smart diving catch.
"I think that’s one of the best reverse swing performances I’ve seen in a long time. I know bowling at 93mph is tough but when it is reverse swinging as well it’s going to be even tougher,” Stokes said.