BIRMINGHAM: England completed a commanding 3-0 series whitewash over the West Indies with a spectacular 10-wicket victory in the third Test at Edgbaston on Sunday. Skipper Ben Stokes hit the fastest Test fifty by an England batsman to hammer the West Indies.
Set a modest target of 82 runs to win, England achieved the target in just 7.2 overs, finishing on 87-0. Stokes, opening the innings in place of the injured Zak Crawley, made a blistering 57 not out from just 30 balls.
His innings included nine fours and a six, as he surpassed Ian Botham’s previous record of the fastest fifty by an England batsman, set at 28 balls against India in 1981. Stokes ended the match in style by hitting a six off West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite’s part-time spin.
Earlier, England’s bowlers were in formidable form. Mark Wood’s express pace dismantled the West Indies’ lower order, as he claimed 5-9 from six overs to bowl out the tourists for 175 in their second innings.
Wood’s spell brought his match total to 5-40 from 14 overs. Despite valiant efforts from West Indies opener Mikyle Louis, who scored 57, and Kavem Hodge, who added 55, the West Indies struggled to cope with England’s attack.
The West Indies had resumed their innings on 33-2, still 61 runs behind England’s first-innings total of 376. Earlier in the match, England had shown resilience after a collapse to 54-5, with significant contributions from Jamie Smith (95), Joe Root (87), Chris Woakes (62), and Stokes (54) to recover and set a challenging target for the visitors.
On Sunday, West Indies batsmen struggled against England’s bowlers. Louis, who was 18 not out overnight, was dismissed for 57 after being dropped by Stokes on nine. He was caught by Stokes off a delivery from Stokes. Hodge, who had scored a maiden Test century at Trent Bridge, was dismissed for 55 as England’s bowlers tightened their grip.
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Wood’s spell dismantled the lower order with precision. He dismissed Joshua Da Silva lbw, uprooted Alzarri Joseph’s stumps, and bowled Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph with pace and bounce. Wood’s aggressive bowling left the West Indies reeling, and England’s pursuit of the target was completed with ease.
The day was also marked by Stokes’s extraordinary batting display. With Crawley injured earlier in the day, Stokes’s performance was crucial. He launched into the West Indies bowlers with a series of boundaries, including a sequence of fours off Alzarri Joseph and Jason Holder.
