We have already seen some of the quickest bowling in the history of the game at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with lightning-quick deliveries hurrying the biggest names in world cricket on the lively Australian pitches.
Mark Wood set a new record for the fastest spell in white-ball cricket history, averaging an eye-watering 149.02kph (92.6mph) across his four overs against Afghanistan, surpassing the previous record held by Fidel Edwards for West Indies back in 2009.
Mark Wood has set a new standard for England.
There are a host of big-name quick bowlers on show in Australia, with the likes of Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi of Pakistan, Mitchell Starc of Australia, Taskin Ahmed of Bangladesh and Lockie Ferguson of New Zealand among those capable of clocking serious speed.
But the only bowler close to challenging Wood for the fastest of the tournament is South African pace-merchant Anrich Nortje.
A blistering spell from the speedster had Bangladesh hopping about earlier in the tournament. But even a ball tracked at 154.311kph wasn’t enough to better Wood’s quickest.
The 10 fastest deliveries so far are below:
1. Mark Wood (England) v New Zealand – 154.74kph (96.15mph)
The fastest delivery of the tournament saw England’s strike bowler rocket in a full delivery that almost cut Glenn Phillips in half and could very easily have castled the in-form Kiwi. Instead, it found an inside edge that saw the ball squeeze just past the leg stump and race away for a boundary.
2. Mark Wood (England) v Afghanistan – 154.48kph (95.98mph)
Full, straight and express pace, the first ball of Wood’s second over of the match was only just dug out by Hazratullah Zazai.
3. Mark Wood (England) v Afghanistan – 154.48kph (95.98mph)
Straight into his stride, Wood followed up a wicket off his first delivery of the match with a turbo-charged second, whistling past the outside edge from back of a length. Sam Curran took the wickets, but Wood's pace softened up the Afghanistani batters.
4. Anrich Nortje (South Africa) v Bangladesh – 154.31kph (95.88mph)
Nortje’s second over of the match against Bangladesh was rapid throughout. He picked up the wicket of Shakib with his fourth ball, and bowled his fastest delivery of the match with his last, striking the front pad with a missile. Afif Hossain survived as the ball had pitched outside leg.
5. Mark Wood (England) v Afghanistan – 154.07kph (95.73mph)
Back of a length and cramping the batter for room, Mark Wood’s fourth delivery was a dot ball in an over that went for just four runs.
6. Anrich Nortje (South Africa) v Bangladesh – 153.47kph (95.36mph)
The perils of bowling fast. Nortje banged in a bouncer that rose past Afif and kept on rising, disappearing over the head of the keeper and away for four byes.
7. Mark Wood (England) v New Zealand – 153.31kph (95.26mph)
Searching for a breakthrough, Wood angled a quick delivery in at Kane Williamson, but drifted fractionally onto the pads and was flicked away to the rope, with the pace on the ball giving the fielders little chance.
8. Mark Wood (England) v Ireland – 152.90kph (95.00mph)
A peach of a delivery moved away from Harry Tector, and at that sort of pace there was little that the Irishman can do. The ripper found the edge and stung the palms of Jos Buttler (a long way) behind the stumps.
9. Mark Wood (England) v Ireland – 152.87kph (94.98mph)
A big over from Wood got expensive, as Gareth Delany did well to use the pace and angle a lively full-length delivery to the boundary.
=10. Mark Wood (England) v Ireland – 152.15kph (94.54mph)
So close to picking up two wickets in two balls, a brisk Wood delivery rushed new batter Mark Adair and fell agonisingly short of Chris Woakes.
=10. Mark Wood (England) v Afghanistan – 152.15kph (94.54mph)
The first ball of the over saw Wood beat Mohammad Nabi for pace, with a big heave from the batter failing to make contact as the ball zipped through to the keeper.
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