England’s Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope created history at Trent Bridge by smashing a new world record with their powerful hitting, scoring 50 runs in just 4.2 overs against the West Indies.
With this remarkable feat, England had broken their own record of 4.3 overs against South Africa in 1994, becoming the team with the fastest fifty overs in the 147-year history of Test cricket.
In Thursday’s second Test at Trent Bridge against the West Indies, England went on the rampage. Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, who both have tremendous hitting powers, went on the rampage as England reached 50 runs in just 4.2 overs. In the 147-year history of the Test Cricket competition, this is the first time a side has scored 50 runs in fewer than 27 balls. By doing this, England surpassed their own record of reaching 50 against South Africa at The Oval in 4.3 overs in 1994.
Fastest team 50s in Test cricket:
4.2 overs – England vs WI, Nottingham, 2024
4.3 overs – England vs SA, The Oval, 1994
4.6 overs – England vs SL, Manchester, 2002
5.2 overs – Sri Lanka vs PAK, Karachi, 2004
5.3 overs – India vs ENG, Chennai, 2008
5.3 overs – India vs WI, Port of Spain, 2023
Kraigg Brathwaite, the captain of the West Indies, won the toss and decided to field against England on Thursday at Trent Bridge in the second Test.
There was light grass on the ground and bright blue skies overhead, making for perfect batting conditions. However, Brathwaite’s choice made sense considering that his team had lost the opening Test at Lord’s last week, losing by an innings and 114 runs, after being knocked out for just 121 and 136.
The West Indies are aiming to tie the three-match series at one, although Brathwaite stated, “It looks like a good cricket pitch, so I think we’ll use what we get today.”
“We could be much more disciplined with the ball. That’s one topic we’ve discussed.
“Batting wise, we’ve got to build partnerships and score at least 300 runs in the first innings.”
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Ben Stokes, the captain of England, continued, “If we had won the toss, it was a difficult one. I’ll keep what we were planning to do to myself.”
Before the toss, both teams announced their lineups. England had called up fast bowler Mark Wood, while veteran seamer James Anderson had announced his retirement from international cricket after the Lord’s Test, having taken the most wickets in the format with 704 Tests.
On the morning of the match, spinner Gudakesh Motie woke up with the flu and had to withdraw, forcing the West Indies, who had planned to stick with their original lineup, to make a last-minute change.
Motie was the only batsman for the tourists to reach the thirty-spot at Lord’s, where he was also the most potent bowler in the West Indies, therefore it was a setback to them.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Kevin Sinclair, playing in his second Test of the season, took his position. In January, Sinclair scored fifty runs on his Test debut as the West Indies pulled off an incredible upset, defeating Australia by eight runs in Brisbane.
