On a sun-kissed morning at Trent Bridge, England’s cricket team unleashed a BazBall spectacle that left fans wide-eyed and statisticians scrambling for superlatives. The occasion? The second Test against the West Indies, where England’s batting prowess took centre stage. England reached their team fifty in a jaw-dropping 4.2 overs—a feat that etched their name into the annals of cricket history.
BazBall unleashes in Trent Bridge
After West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite opted to bowl first, England faced an early hiccup with opener Zak Crawley departing for a duck. But adversity only fueled their fire. Enter Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, wielding their willows like Baseball pros. They tore into the West Indies attack, stitching together an unbeaten partnership that would reverberate across cricketing circles.
England’s 50 runs materialized in a mere 26 balls (4.2 overs). Yes, you read that right—the fastest fifty in 147-year-old Test cricket! This wasn’t a fluke; it was a deliberate assault. Duckett (33 off 14 balls) and Pope (16 not out off 9 balls) orchestrated a boundary bonanza, leaving the fielders gasping and the crowd in raptures.
England’s previous record stood at 50 runs in 4.3 overs, set three decades ago against South Africa at The Oval in 1994. Now, they bettered it by a whisker—50 runs in 4.2 overs! Duckett’s blade danced to a brisk 71 (59 balls) before Alzarri Joseph dismissed him. Pope held his end, ensuring the scoreboard raced like a thoroughbred.
England’s blitzkrieg catapulted them to the top of the fastest fifties chart:
England vs. West Indies: 4.2 overs (2024)
England vs. South Africa: 4.3 overs (1994)
England vs. Sri Lanka: 4.6 overs (2002)
Notably, they also hold the record for the most runs after five overs in a Test inning (55 runs in five overs), surpassing their own mark against Sri Lanka in 2022.
🚨𝑴𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒕🚨 Fastest-ever team fifty in the history of Test cricket!🤯
Bazball at its best!🔥
📸: Fan Code pic.twitter.com/gFLD04jb0m
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) July 18, 2024
Riding this euphoric start, England went on to clinch an emphatic 114-run victory over the West Indies. Ben Stokes, their talismanic leader, must have watched with pride as his team etched their names in cricketing lore.
