Fast bowler Mark Wood has been recalled to England’s Test squad for the second match of the home series against West Indies.
Wood has been added to England’s squad for the second Test against West Indies from July 18. The decision came a day after the conclusion of the first match of the series at Lord’s, which was also James Anderson’s farewell Test.
Previously, England had only announced the squad for the first Test, omitting several seniors, including Mark Wood along with Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes and Jack Leach.
Wood was part of England's semi-final finish at the T20 World Cup last month. He had a below-par outing, managing three wickets – all of which came against Oman – in five matches.
Jamie Smith, who had a brilliant debut, has been retained in the squad alongside uncapped Nottinghamshire pacer Dillon Pennington.
Smith batted with the tail sensibly in the beginning before teeing off to score a 119-ball 70, taking England to 371 in the first innings. Besides his batting heroics, he also chipped in with four catches as the hosts’ preferred wicketkeeper, keeping a clean sheet behind the stumps.
Although the match was filled with tributes to Anderson, another debutant, Gus Atkinson, stole the show with a record-breaking 7-45 and 5-61, skittling out the West Indies for 121 and 136 in both innings.
1️⃣2️⃣ wickets 🤯
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 12, 2024
Gus Atkinson has the fourth best figures on Test debut IN HISTORY! 👏 pic.twitter.com/UGpvtLurqs
After a quiet first innings, where he picked up 1-26, Anderson tormented the tourists’ batting line-up with his familiar artistry. He bowled opposition captain Kraigg Brathwaite with a brilliant swinging delivery, finishing with 3-32 in the final spell of his career, which started way back in 2003, fittingly at the same venue.
The pacer bowed out with 704 Test scalps, the third most ever after Muthiah Muralidaran (800) and Shane Warne (708).
England Test squad
Batters: Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Joe Root.
Wicketkeepers: Jamie Smith.
All-rounders: Ben Stokes (c), Chris Woakes.
Bowlers: Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Dillon Pennington, Matthew Potts.
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