Ben Stokes' England's explosive hitting sets fastest World Record in 147 years in second Test vs West Indies

Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope put on a quickfire display, propelling England to 50 in just 4.2 overs against West Indies in the second Test on July 18.

Abhijeet Kumar Singh

• Thu • 18 Jul 2024

England's Ben Duckett (right) celebrates 50 runs with batting partner Ollie Pope during day one of the 2nd Test against West Indies at Trent Bridge on July 18. (Getty)

Highlights:

England cracked fastest team fifty in Test history in the second match against West Indies.

Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope combined to smash 50 in just 4.2 overs.

England unleashed an aggressive batting display on day one of the second Test against West Indies at Trent Bridge. Openers Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope went on a rampage, showcasing their power-hitting prowess. Their blistering start saw England reach a score of 50 runs in a mere 4.2 overs.

England unleash mayhem at Trent Bridge

This rapid assault rewrites the record books. It marks the first time in Test cricket's 147-year history that a team has reached the 50-run mark in less than 27 balls. In doing so, England shattered their own previous record set in 1994 against South Africa at The Oval, where they reached 50 in 4.3 overs.

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England rewrite record books after early jitter

England's batting display at Trent Bridge started with a jolt. They lost opener Zak Crawley in the very first over, leaving them at 0 after 5 balls. However, this early setback sparked a dramatic turnaround. Ben Duckett, the other opener, responded in emphatic fashion. He smashed four consecutive boundaries off Jayden Seales in the second over, injecting instant momentum into the innings.

This aggressive approach set the tone for the rest of the session. Duckett and his partner, Ollie Pope, put on an unbeaten 86-run partnership for the second wicket in just 12 overs. But more importantly, their rapid scoring propelled England to a record-breaking feat.

They reached the 50-run mark in a staggering 4.2 overs, shattering the world record for the fastest team fifty in Test cricket history. This achievement is even more remarkable because it eclipses their own previous record. Back in 1994, England reached 50 runs against South Africa at The Oval in 4.3 overs. With this blistering display, they've managed to shave a whole ball off that mark, underlining their dominant batting performance on day one.

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Fastest team fifties in men's Test cricket

1) 4.2 overs - England vs West Indies, Nottingham, 2024
2) 4.3 overs - England vs South Africa, The Oval, 1994
3) 4.6 overs - England vs Sri Lanka, Manchester, 2002
4) 5.2 overs - Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, Karachi, 2004
5) 5.3 overs - India vs England, Chennai, 2008
6) 5.3 overs - India vs West Indies, Port of Spain, 2023

Ben Duckett hit his eighth Test fifty in just 32 balls, achieving the joint-third fastest fifty for England. He came close to Ian Botham's all-time record of a 28-ball fifty against India in 1981 but set the fastest fifty record by an English opener.

Fastest Test fifties by an England players

1) 28 balls - Ian Botham vs India, 1981
2) 30 balls - Jonny Bairstow vs New Zealand, 2022
3) 32 balls - Ian Botham vs New Zealand, 1986
4) 32 balls - Ben Duckett vs West Indies, 2024

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West Indies' Playing XI:

Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Mikyle Louis, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Kevin Sinclair, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales.