Stokes hits record fifty as England crush Windies to sweep series

BIRMINGHAM, England :England captain Ben Stokes butchered the West Indies bowling attack after Mark Wood had taken five wickets to lead England to a crushing 10-wicket win before tea on the third day of the final test at Edgbaston on Sunday.

Stokes hit the quickest test half century by an English batsman, and was unbeaten on 55 off 28 balls as England took 7.2 overs to reach their victory target of 82.

Wood claimed five wickets in four overs – three in a single over - to skittle out West Indies for 175 in their second innings.

With Zak Crawley having hurt his hand, it was the perfect stage for Stokes to promote himself up the order and the skipper wasted no time in thrashing the bowling to all corners of the ground.

Ben Duckett played the supporting role, scoring 25 runs off 16 balls.

England matched their own record for being the fastest team to reach 50 runs in a test, achieved in 4.2 overs, while Stokes' 50 off 24 balls bettered Ian Botham’s 28-ball half-century in India in 1981.

Earlier, Wood produced a brilliant burst of fast bowling after lunch to run through the tourists’ tail, with his five wickets costing only seven runs.

Windies were always up against it with a 94-run first innings-deficit but looked to be putting up a fight in the morning session with half centuries from Mikyle Louis and Kavem Hodge.

They were never able to put together any meaningful partnerships, however, as England took three wickets before lunch and Wood ripped through the tail to finish with figures of 5-40 in 14 overs.

Louis and Alick Athanaze had resumed with the Windies on 33-2, and the 23-year-old Louis reached his 50 with an impressive six over long on before he was caught at slip by Crawley off Stokes.

Hodge raced to his half century in 56