Sinclair, the sixth man out as West Indies capitulated to 143 all out in Nottingham on Sunday, wore a sickening blow while attempting to fend off a 92mph bouncer from Wood. The ball ballooned up into the cordon, where it was taken by Zak Crawley. Sinclair reviewed the dismissal before dropping to one knee and calling for the physio. DRS showed impact with the sweatband of his left glove, upholding the on-field decision, as England moved closer to an eventual 241-run win, and a 2-0 series lead.
Wood was electric throughout the second Test, his first appearance of the summer, beginning with a four-over opening burst on day two. He clocked a top speed of 97.1mph in his third over – the fastest delivery of his Test career – with none of his deliveries registering below 90 in that spell.
Sinclair was not so lucky, though he had been more than willing to engage Wood on the field. The pair exchanged a few words, and, at one point, Sinclair gestured to Wood that his pace was down after negotiating a previous short delivery with relative ease. He soon discovered the hard way that this was not the case.
Despite displaying a remarkable consistency of speed and accuracy across 28 overs in the match, Wood only returned one wicket in each innings. It was the continuation of a peculiar theme for the 34-year-old who, unlike most English pace bowlers, boasts better figures overseas than at home.
Of his 110 career dismissals, 59 have come away from home at an average of 28.23, compared to 51 at 35.21 in England. His 5 for 34 against Australia at Headingley last summer was his first five-wicket haul on these shores, with one each in West Indies (2019), South Africa (2020) and Australia (2022).
“Even in his second or third spells, you have to hold your hands up and celebrate what we have there. He’s got the heart of a lion. He runs in spell after spell, ball after ball.
“Although he didn’t get the rewards he wanted last week, he knows he affects the game in more than just wickets. That showed last week. I think someone will pay this summer, either West Indies this game or Sri Lanka.”
“The whole game changes. When his name gets read out, the whole crowd is up, then when the speeds are on the big screen, everyone gets going. Woody is always looking up at the screen as well to see what he’s clocking. That’s part of his place in the team. He knows he’s in the team to not only bowl skilfully, but also fast.”
