Mark Wood retires: England's pace king relives his four greatest spells
Mark Wood retired on Tuesday, bringing to an end one of the most entertaining England careers in recent years. The fastest England bowler on record by most metrics, he leaves as a two-time World Cup winner and an Ashes winner, his ferocious pace thrilling crowds even as his body too often betrayed him.
Across a Test career blighted by injuries, Wood produced a series of spellbinding performances. Here, in his own words, are four of the spells that defined him.
'That was the fastest' - the Saint Lucia breakthrough
Despite bowling quickly on occasions, Wood averaged 41.73 with the ball across his first 12 Tests. Then, on the advice of West Indies legend Michael Holding, he lengthened his run-up. Using it for the first time, he took 5-41 in the first innings of the third Test against West Indies in Saint Lucia in 2019.
"That was the fastest. I could be biased because I thought it was a breakthrough moment in my career but when I was watching the ball carry off the nicks, they felt a long way in the slips," Wood said.
"You feel weightless, like you're never tired and are just picking up speed. It feels like you have all of this momentum and loose energy to release. You feel a surge through your body and then a whip out of your fingers.
"That day I didn't have to try. Root could have put the field anywhere and I wouldn't have cared. I was so up in my action. I can remember my feet landing and the feeling of the balls on my fingers - the seam ripping up my fingers.
"I essentially had two different careers – the first one in and out of the team with good moments but struggling with ankle injuries and form. I felt I had to constantly push myself with that stop-start run-up to get the most out of myself.
"As soon as I went off my longer run I had much more momentum, flow and freedom and the ability to bowl consistently quicker for longer. When I lengthened my run-up, if it was below 90mph I was annoyed."
Wood averaged 27.11 across his 26 Tests after lengthening his run-up.
Jubilant in Jo'burg
Wood's best match figures came in the fourth Test against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2020, when he took 9-100, including 5-46 in the first innings and 4-54 in the second. On a quick and bouncy pitch, he averaged 89.1mph and helped England secure a 191-run victory.
"I faced [South Africa bowler] Anrich Nortje there and when he bowled a bouncer I could hear it go past me. I was honestly so scared but something clicked in me that I would bowl fast," he recalled.
"I got Rassie van der Dussen for 98 caught from round the wicket. We double-bluffed him. That was a great wicket because he was giving us a bit of verbals back. Faf du Plessis wasn't happy with something and Van der Dussen got involved.
"The way he commands a presence at the crease winds people up and he has a little bit of verbals here and there. A few of the lads were desperate for me to stick one up him. We set up this bouncer plan, I pitched it up and he hit it straight to cover."
Earning Langer's respect in Hobart
Wood's best innings figures came at the end of the 2021-22 Ashes defeat, when he took 6-37 in the second innings of the final Test in Hobart — his first Ashes five-for.
"It is disappointing because you are losing but you still have the pride in your own performance. You have to have pride in your performance," he said.
"I wanted to do it for Spoons [coach Chris Silverwood]. He was under a lot of pressure but was really good for me and backed me up - Jon Lewis the bowling coach as well.
"I played four out of the five Tests and was proud of that. I was so tired at the end of that spell but came out with my best figures of the tour.
"[The Australian public] respected that I kept trying and bowling quickly. Even on the boundary line the Australia fans were saying 'Woody, we want to see you on'.
"[Afterwards] I was in the lift with Justin Langer and he put his hand up and pulled me in and said 'respect'. That was a really nice moment. We always want respect from our people but to have it from the Australians was nice."
The Headingley heroics
Wood will likely be best remembered for his devastating 5-34 in the first innings of the third Ashes Test at Headingley in 2023. With Australia 2-0 up in the series, Wood averaged 90.4mph on day one and transformed the series in an electric spell of pace bowling, famously dismissing Australia opener Usman Khawaja. England fought back to draw the series 2-2.
"I was absolutely ready to go. The day before I was bowling to a mitt and the strength coach had to swap because it was hurting his hand so much," Wood said.
"I can still hear the commentary and feel the ball. It was a special moment because my parents were here as well. It was the first time they saw me get five wickets.
"I spent a lot of my career in the bouncer role. I thought at times I was better than that and it hurt my stats. That day I got to pitch it up and it was the swing that did it.
"The BBC had [the Khawaja wicket] on socials and I watched it so many times. I just loved the noise it made. I wish I could bottle that up."
With his retirement now confirmed, Wood bows out having given England something no other bowler in their history could offer — sustained, chest-thumping pace — and four spells that will be replayed for decades.