England fast bowler Mark Wood has been clocking speeds of up to 97.1mph during the second Test against West Indies, averaging 91.2mph — the fastest ever recorded on British soil, surpassing Brett Lee's 90.59mph in 2005. At 34, Wood is defying age by bowling faster than ever.
Wood attributes his improvement to experience and smarter training. 'I think I’m more robust naturally with being older and I know when to listen to my body now, when to back off and when to train,' he told Mail Sport. Unlike earlier in his career, he rarely bowls flat out in practice, focusing instead on gym work.
His regime includes Bulgarian split squats, Romanian dead lifts, and push press exercises to build strength in his power zone. Kevin Shine, former ECB pace programme head, said: 'He’s so diligent with his weight training and does some pretty big lifts. Realistically, that's just writing an insurance cheque.'
Wood also emphasises mobility for knees and ankles, and on the eve of a Test switches to 3x3 workouts — low-volume compound movements to maintain explosiveness. His aerobic work includes tempo runs and 40m sprints to build endurance.
A lengthened run-up, suggested by Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson in 2014, has also helped. Combined with excellent fast-twitch muscle fibres and perfect hip-shoulder alignment, Wood continues to terrorise batsmen.
