Ben Duckett helps England rewrite history books with fastest-ever team fifty in Test cricket

England have created history as they have registered the fastest team fifty in the history of Test cricket. Ben Stokes and his men created the record during the second Test between England and West Indies played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

On a slow wicket, the new ball came onto the bat nicely. Despite losing an early wicket, Ben Duckett played his natural game and kept attacking the poor lines and lengths of West Indian fast bowlers.

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England breaks own record for fastest team fifty in the history of Test cricket

After being put into bat by the West Indies, England switched on their Bazball mode. Despite losing Zak Crawley in just the third ball of the match, England's batters kept up the scoring rate as they took full toll of some loose bowling by West Indies' opening bowlers.

Ben Duckett was the wrecker-in-chief as the opener showed his full strange of strokes. The left-hander was particularly impressive through the off-side as he kept smashing the ball through covers and point region.

In just the second over of the match, Ben Duckett counter-attacked by smashing all the first four balls for boundaries. When Alzarri Joseph tried to duck him with a short ball, Duckett latched on to it and pulled through the midwicket region.

England completed its fifty in just 4.2 overs when Ben Duckett smashed Alzarri Joseph for a four through the covers. With this boundary, England broke their own record of the fastest team fifty in Test cricket. England held the earlier record when they scored the team fifty off just 4.3 overs against South Africa at The Oval in 1994.

Top six fastest team 50s recorded in Test cricket

4.2 - England vs WI, Nottingham, 2024

4.3 - England vs SA, The Oval, 1994

4.6 - England vs SL, Manchester, 2002

5.2 - Sri Lanka vs PAK, Karachi, 2004

5.3 - India vs ENG, Chennai, 2008

5.3 - India vs WI, Port of Spain, 2023

Since 2022, England have recorded most (six) completed Test innings with a run rate of above 5 runs per over, which is the most among all the teams.

Most of Duckett's boundaries were through the covers region. In the process, he also completed 10000 runs in first-class cricket. The left-hander completed his fifty off just 32 balls. Meanwhile, England's vice-captain Ollie Pope played the perfect role of a second fiddle. The duo of Duckett and Pope smashed 20 fours on their way to the world record.

Duckett was dismissed for a breathtaking 71 off 59 balls, which included 14 fours. But Ollie Pope carried on and kept the run rate ticking along. England's No. 3 played perfectly for his 47 off 75 balls and remained unbeaten till lunch. Pope has smashed 5 fours and 1 six so far and looks set for a big one on a good batting surface at Trent Bridge.

Meanwhile, Joe Root is unbeaten on 13 off 20 balls till lunch. Both Pope and Root have taken England to 134-2 in just 26 overs till the end of the first session of the match. England are currently batting at a run rate of 5.15.