The Ashes 2023: Mark Wood lights up Headingley with thrilling spell of fast bowling
- Published
Wood takes 5-34 on enthralling day
A well-known online encyclopaedia defines a fast bowler as someone who "relies on speed to get a batter out".
Albeit factually correct, that does little to get across the thrill of seeing one of the best in action.
A true fast bowler is cricket's greatest buzz - a rare skill that bends the laws of physics, of human development, and alerts the senses in the middle and in the stands.
Mark Wood bowled the quickest spell in this country for 18 years on day one of the third Ashes, taking an electric 5-34 and the Headingley crowd with him in a must-win contest for England.
When you think of the great Ashes fast bowlers you think of the ferocity of Australian greats like Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee or Jeff Thomson. Or perhaps strapping England quicks like Fred Trueman, Steve Harmison or Andrew Flintoff.
That is not Wood.
He is slight and wiry. He looks more likely to beat you on a cross-country course than knock you over with raw pace.
At training two days ago he caught the eye of a group of journalists in the press box, pointed to where his name would be on his back and gave an angry wave.
It was Wood re-enacting Nasser Hussain's famous gesture during a one-day international against India in 2002 but, unlike Hussain, he soon broke into a smile. Wood is England's joker, the player who helps lift the mood.
But get a ball in his hand, the delicate body in the right place, and Wood has an almost unique skill as an Englishman to captivate with raw pace - an ability to grip an audience with the fascination of an 19th century family seeing an elephant at visiting circus.
"Did you see that? How quick is he?" mumbles the crowd, sitting on the edge of their seat in slight disbelief.
Wood starts with a slow walk to the top of his run, before an abrupt turn and a sprint from closer to the boundary rope than the crease - the wind whipping at his shirt as he goes.
Next comes the leap where, for a split second, time stands still, before the ball is slingshotted towards an uncertain batter.
In Leeds, Wood's first ball - his first in this series - was 91mph. That increased to 95mph and then to 96.5mph in the fastest spell on record at this ground.
There were gasps around the ground as the speed was shown on Headingley's big screen.
In Wood's first 22 balls there were no runs off the bat. Still, eyes were glued to the action.
The slow hand clap that builds to a crescendo as the sky blue soles of Wood's boots race away, the cruel cheers that come as the ball thuds into Australian flesh, while even in the commentary box eyes are wide and eyebrows raised.
Wood takes superb 5-34 on England return
Eventually a run comes - two, in fact, off the bat of Usman Khawaja.
The Australia opener has eased his way through the series - a century here, another 50 there - all while looking like his heart-rate was barely moving.
But not today.
Next comes the primal sight - a full and swinging delivery from Wood that splatters the stumps.
"It just feels like you've got all this energy surging and you're about to let it fly," Wood said afterwards.
England, and captain Ben Stokes, have been desperate for Wood to play in this series. Various niggles, most notably in the elbow, have left him watching defeats in the first two Tests from the sidelines.
This was Wood's first home Test for two years, the quick so often saved for when England need him most.
"It was zipping out of the hand the last couple days so I knew I was in a good place, physically and mentally," he added.
Wood's first spell ended there, Stokes careful not to break his most precious weapon. His second was uneventful - Mitchell Marsh now crashing the ball around the ground - but his third brought a quiet crowd into a state of frenzy.
First Alex Carey, to this partisan crowd the chief villain after last week's furore at Lord's, was hit on the helmet by a fierce Wood bouncer.
A ball later, whether unsettled or wanting to fight fire with fire, the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter plopped a ball into the hands of extra cover.
Then came captain Pat Cummins - the other persona non grata.
In the first Test of this gripping series he took his side to victory with an unlikely 12-over stand with Nathan Lyon. Today, against the pace of Wood, he lasted two balls before falling lbw for a duck.
Next Mitchell Starc was bowled and Todd Murphy too - in 16 balls -and with four more wickets to his name, Wood and the Australia innings were done.
Since lengthening his run-up in 2019, Wood has terrorised batters from South Africa to St Lucia, from Tasmania to Multan but this was his first five-wicket haul in England.
"My mum and dad were here and to be able to raise the ball to them, it was the first time they've seen me get five wickets, so a pretty special moment," he said.
There are some things that cannot really be defined in words or through TV screens. They have to be seen to be truly believed.