England paceman stays true to his goals despite several left ankle operations and proves himself a bowler of shock and awe
Mark Wood, from childhood days spent charging in from the conifers at the back of his garden, trying to clonk his father, Derek, on the head, through to the present, has only ever wanted to bowl as fast as he possibly can and play Test cricket for England.
A rebellious left ankle that has led to him going under the knife multiple times might have led others to veer away from one or both of these ambitions, either by dialling down on pace or specialising in short-form cricket in a bid to have a career of sorts. But Wood has always stayed true to his goals. And on a sun-soaked second afternoon in St Lucia this persistence culminated in one of the most popular members of the England team bowling the 90mph-plus speeds one would expect to emanate from the hand of a West Indian, but instead sent five of their batsmen back to the pavilion dazed.
Related: Mark Wood’s pace puts England in control against West Indies
Continue reading...