England vs West Indies: Mark Wood takes 5-9 and Ben Stokes hits England’s fastest Test fifty as hosts win Third Test

When Stokes strode out to bat, chest puffed out, with a sense of purpose in his gait Edgbaston chattered that something special might be in the offing.

However, this was Bazball on steroids from Stokes.

He shattered a 42-year record held by Ian Botham for the quickest half-century, surfing the wave of momentum generated by Wood’s spell.

Any sense of conventional cricketing logic that an opener’s job is to diligently see the shine of the new ball, regardless of the circumstances, were laughed off by Stokes.

“When one hit the middle I thought ‘I may as well have a crack’,” Stokes said, in a rather matter-of-fact manner.

There were some fantastic shots in this act of wanton aggression. He started with two off the first over from Alzarri Joseph, thrashing a four through the covers then neatly clipping the next ball off his leg.

The standout, though, was a brutal pull off Shamar Joseph that cleared the mid-wicket boundary to break Botham’s record.

His knock helped England to their joint-fastest 50 in a Test innings, equalling the record Stokes side set in the previous Test at Trent Bridge – 4.2 overs.

The previous record, 4.3 overs, was set by England against South Africa at The Oval in 1994.

Inevitably, Stokes wrapped up the win with another maximum – whipping opposite number Kraigg Brathwaite over square leg.

This all comes with the caveat of occurring against a West Indies side browbeaten by England across the first two Tests of this series.

The pressure was completely off Stokes after his bowlers, with Gus Atkinson also impressing as he finished England’s top wicket-taker across the three Tests with 22 victims to be named player of the series, taking the initiative.

There were moments in this Test – not least when they failed to review a Joe Root lbw on day two which would have been out – that did not go their way.

It was their batting which stumbled again but it was reflection of what it was: inexperienced, undercooked and deprived off its best players who are off playing franchise cricket.