Edgbaston [UK]: England skipper Ben Stokes slammed a record-breaking half-century, the fastest for his country in Tests, as an all-round England triumphed over West Indies to secure the three-match series 3-0 at Edgbaston.
On Sunday, Stokes slammed a 24-ball half-century as England chased down a target of 82 in 7.2 overs. England sealed a series whitewash with a comprehensive win in Birmingham on Sunday against the West Indies.
The match was still up for grabs heading into day four but a clinical bowling performance led by Mark Wood helped England restrict the West Indies to 175 runs. Wood took five for 40, with all five wickets coming in a spell where he conceded just nine runs.
With 82 to chase down, Stokes (57* in 28 balls, with nine fours and two sixes) opened the batting alongside Ben Duckett (25* in 16 balls, with four boundaries) and went hammer and tongs from the get-go.
Stokes started the innings with two fours in the opening over off Alzarri Joseph and added two more in the next over by Jayden Seales.
The skipper kept going for his shots, racing to his half-century off just 24 balls, the fastest Test fifty by an Englishman. It was also the joint-third-fastest fifty in Test cricket.
Misbah-ul-Haq holds the record for the fastest fifty in Tests, making a half-century off just 21 balls against Australia in 2014.
In the match, the West Indies had won the toss and elected to bat first. A half-century from skipper Kraigg Braithwaite (61 in 86 balls, with eight fours) and fine contributions from Jason Holder (59 in 112 balls, with six fours and a six) and wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva (49 in 99 balls, with three fours) helped WI reach 282/10 in their first inning. Gus Atkinson (4/67) and Chris Woakes (3/69) were the pick of the bowlers for England.
In their first innings, England replied strongly despite a tough start. When the hosts were struggling at 54/5, a 115-run partnership between Joe Root (87 in 124 balls, with seven fours) and Stokes (54 in 69 balls, with five fours and a six) helped England stabilise. Then, wicketkeeper Jamie Smith (95 in 109 balls, with 12 fours and a six), along with all-rounder Woakes (62 in 78 balls, with seven fours), helped England overtake WI’s first innings score and end up at 376 all-out, leading by 94 runs. Alzarri Joseph (4/122) was the pick of the bowlers for WI.
In their second inning, WI showed very little resistance, with Mikyle Louis (57 in 95 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Kavem Hodge (55 in 76 balls, with seven fours) getting half-centuries as they were bundled out for just 175 runs, giving England an 82 run target to chase.