Ashes 2023: Mark Wood's blistering pace adds to series drama, gives hope to England

Welcome to the Ashes, Mark Wood. He started with a 91mph outswinger, a loosener as it turned out, which would be the slowest ball in the over – the fastest one hit 95mph. It finished as the fastest over at Headingley since records began. What followed next? Wood sent down a 96.5mph delivery in his next over – in a series already crammed full of thrilling moments he was putting together quite the personal showreel only two overs into his day. Nothing is quite as thrilling as extreme pace, an entire Headingley crowd brought to the edge of their seats, the two Australian batters in the middle perhaps the only ones wishing they were elsewhere. Perhaps the only thing more appealing than raw speed to the Headingley crowd – occasional clumps of fans festooned in green and gold notwithstanding – would have been an Australian wicket, fortunately for them Wood was able to provide that too. He produced the perfect climax to his lightning fast opening four-over spell, a 94.6mph inswinger to Usman Khawaja that flattened his leg stump off an inside edge – Australia’s batter of the series so far simply no match for him.

It's full and straight and far too quick for Usman Khawaja 🌪️

Australia are 2 down and Mark Wood is on fire! 🔥 #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/y5MAB1rWxd

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 6, 2023

Shoddy fielding cost Wood another wicket before lunch, Travis Head dropped on 9. It would cost England a lot more in the afternoon session, Mitchell Marsh dropped off Chris Woakes in the second over after lunch, England’s third missed opportunity of the day. If England had been missing Mark Wood then it turned out Australia had been missing Mitchell Marsh too. Succinctly displaying why he has the nickname ‘Bison’ he made the most of that reprieve on just 12, singlehandedly muscling Australia out of the hole they had slipped into in the course of the morning. He would fall to the last ball before the tea break, but in the intervening time he smashed 118 from 118 balls, showcasing perhaps some of the hardest and cleanest hitting we have seen in the series so far, Ben Stokes included.

118 balls 💨
118 runs 💯
17 fours 4️⃣
4 sixes 💥
Third Test century ✅
Third Ashes century ✅

Mitchell Marsh 🔥 👏 📸 pic.twitter.com/aCQKi0FqZE

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 6, 2023

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And yet even with this brief intermission of Australian dominance, in which you could almost visibly see the hope slowly drifting away off the Western Terrace and into the Yorkshire air, the day would ultimately belong to Wood. At tea Australia were 240/5, they would finish 263 all out – six wickets lost for 23, the secret ingredient Wood. Even with England magnanimously shelling yet another catch, Australia were blown off the pitch. Wood picked up the final four to finish with 5/34, his first five-wicket haul in England. Australia’s tail has proved more than a nuisance for England so far in this series, guiding the tourists to victory at Edgbaston, here it was virtually non-existent in the face of Wood’s onslaught. Mitchell Starc lost his leg stump, two balls later Pat Cummins was so far behind the pace of the ball that he was trapped plumb LBW before he’d even managed to get the bat down. At that point, Wood had bowled seven balls that did or would have hit the stumps – the result: three wickets for five runs.

𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 in the side.
𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 with FIVE wickets!

Take a bow, Mark Wood 👏

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #ENGvAUS 🇦🇺 | @IGcom pic.twitter.com/nyb0Sibi1G

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 6, 2023

There was still time for Alex Carey to be hit on the head, then hole out a ball later, and for Todd Murphy to be bowled, his introduction to Ashes cricket a fair bit spicier than most of his compatriots have received over the years. In 8.2 overs after tea Australia lost 6 for 23, their innings up in smoke, the pace of Wood providing the fuel and the fire. It was a day once again with something to celebrate for both sides, another delicious course in this absolute feast of an Ashes series, a dish made all the tastier by the addition of sheer pace.