England’s aggressive “Bazball” strategy paid off spectacularly in the second Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. After being sent in to bat, despite losing Zak Crawley early, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope helped England achieve the fastest team fifty in Test cricket history.
England raced to fifty runs in just 4.2 overs, smashing their own record from 1994 when they reached fifty in 4.3 overs against South Africa at The Oval. They also hold the third-fastest fifty, achieved in 4.6 overs against Sri Lanka in Manchester in 2002.
Fastest Team 50s in Test Cricket:
- 4.2 overs – England vs West Indies, Nottingham, 2024
- 4.3 overs – England vs South Africa, The Oval, 1994
- 4.6 overs – England vs Sri Lanka, Manchester, 2002
- 5.2 overs – Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, Karachi, 2004
- 5.3 overs – India vs England, Chennai, 2008
- 5.3 overs – India vs West Indies, Port of Spain, 2023
Before the match, England recalled fast bowler Mark Wood to replace the recently retired James Anderson, who concluded his illustrious career with 704 Test wickets—the highest for any pace bowler.
The West Indies, initially planning to field an unchanged side, had to make a last-minute change when spinner Gudakesh Motie fell ill. Motie, who had been their standout performer at Lord’s, both with the bat and ball, was replaced by spin-bowling all-rounder Kevin Sinclair, making his second Test appearance.
England’s record-breaking start has set the tone for what promises to be an exciting match, demonstrating the effectiveness of their aggressive batting approach.