"I have a wife and kids at home"- Kavem Hodge reveals begging Mark Wood

Kavem Hodge opened up about the challenge of facing Mark Wood's high-speed deliveries during the second Test match between England and the West Indies. Kavem Hodge said that facing deliveries over 90 mph from Mark Wood was "brutal," and added that scoring his maiden century was "a lot more satisfying."

Mark Wood replaced the retired James Anderson in the playing XI for the second Test at Trent Bridge. Wood delivered the fastest over by an English bowler on home soil and also clocked 97.1 mph on the second day. He nearly dismissed Kavem Hodge in the 42nd over, but Joe Root missed a straightforward catch at slips.

The Century A Lot More Satisfying - Kavem Hodge

Speaking after the second day's play, Kavem Hodge revealed that he joked with Mark Wood, saying he had "a wife and kids at home." Hodge stated that his century was especially satisfying given the brutal nature of Test cricket.

"It was brutal. It's not every day you rock up and you face someone who's bowling more than 90mph every single ball. There was one point when I made a joke to him, I said: 'Hey, I have a wife and kids at home.' But I think that made the century a lot more satisfying. Test cricket is brutal, it's challenging, it's mentally draining. To experience that, facing guys like Mark Wood, it was tough but it was satisfying," said Hodge after the end of day two.

"I joked with him... I have a wife and kids!" 😅

Kavem Hodge on facing Mark Wood's 'brutal' 97mph bowling ⚡ #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/nF7QBbRtXO

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 19, 2024

Kavem Hodge scored his maiden Test century to rescue the West Indies from 84-3 in the first innings. He formed a crucial 175-run partnership with Alick Athanaze, who made 82 off 99 balls for the fourth wicket. Hodge was dismissed by Chris Woakes in the final session on Day 2 after scoring 120 runs from 171 balls.

Mark Wood troubled the West Indies batters with his bowling but took no wickets in his 14.1 overs. The visiting team managed to score 351 runs for the loss of five wickets at the end of the second day's play. The Windies now trail the home team by only 65 runs, with Joshua da Silva (32) and Jason Holder (23) at the crease.

I Was Still Pinching Myself After The Celebration - Kavem Hodge

Kavem Hodge stated that he went blank after reaching 97 and focused solely on staying present. The West Indies all-rounder also noted that he was still pinching himself even after the celebration.

"It was amazing. I think from 97 I blanked out… I was just trying my best to stay in the moment and he bowled a big, booming inswinger and everything was just a blur, everything just happened in the moment. I told Jason I was still pinching myself after the celebration, I hadn't grasped it yet," Hodge added.

This performance was a notable improvement for the West Indies, following their previous innings and 114-run loss at Lord's. The Kraigg Brathwaite-led team is currently 1-0 behind in the ongoing three-match series.

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