LONDON (AP):
THE POST-JIMMY Anderson era began in earnest for England yesterday with Mark Wood replacing the fast bowler in the squad for the second Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge.
The 41-year-old Anderson retired from international cricket – and perhaps ended his playing career, too – after making his 188th Test appearance for England in the first match of the series. That finished on Friday, with Anderson going out on 704 wickets – the most ever by a pace bowler.
Wood, last featured for England’s Test team on the tour of India in March, joins a seam attack including Gus Atkinson Chris Woakes and the uncapped Dillon Pennington.
The 34-year-old Wood will link up with the team in Nottingham on Tuesday, having yet to play a first-class game for Durham since returning from England’s T20 World Cup campaign last month.
As the quickest bowler in the country, Wood offers a unique dimension to the bowling group and could form a dangerous partnership with Atkinson, who took 12 wickets on debut in England’s innings victory in the first Test.
The second Test starts on Thursday.