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England announced their lineup for the second Test against West Indies, set to commence on July 18 at Trent Bridge, with a notable change following James Anderson’s retirement from Test cricket after the first Test at Lord’s.
With Anderson’s departure, England considered three bowlers to fill the void: Matthew Potts and Dillon Pennington, both of whom were part of the squad in the first Test, and Mark Wood, who joined the squad for the second encounter.
Mark Wood has been chosen ahead of Potts and Pennington to bolster the England playing XI. The right-arm speedster recently featured in the T20 World Cup, where he played five matches and secured three wickets as England reached the semifinals. Wood’s last Test appearance was in March this year during the Dharamsala Test against India.
England took the lead of 1-0
In the opening Test of the series, England seized control with a commanding victory over West Indies at Lord’s. Led by Ben Stokes, England dominated proceedings, triumphing by an innings and 114 runs in a match that concluded in just over two days, underscoring their superiority.
West Indies, after opting to bat first, faltered early and managed only 121 runs in their first innings. Their promising start was quickly dismantled by debutant Gus Atkinson, who excelled with a stunning 7-wicket haul that shifted momentum firmly in England’s favor.
England responded emphatically, amassing 351 runs in their innings to secure a substantial lead of 250 runs. Contributions from Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, and debutant Jamie Smith, all scoring half-centuries, ensured England’s dominance with the bat.
In their second innings, West Indies struggled once more, succumbing to England’s bowling prowess and were dismissed for a mere 136 runs, sealing their defeat in the Test match.
England Playing XI for second Test against West Indies:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir
