West Indies century-maker Kavem Hodge glad to survive 'brutal' Mark Wood battle

NEW DELHI: Kavem Hodge expressed satisfaction in achieving his first Test century during a challenging encounter with Mark Wood at Trent Bridge on Friday. During the intense battle, Hodge playfully reminded the England fast bowler that he had "a wife and kids at home".
Hodge's impressive 120 formed the backbone of West Indies' 351-5 at the close of play on day two, reducing the deficit to just 65 runs in response to England's first innings total of 416.This performance marked a significant improvement from their disappointing batting display in the innings and 114-run defeat at Lord's, which had left the West Indies trailing 1-0 in the three-match series.
The Lord's Test was notable for being James Anderson's farewell to international cricket, as the England legend retired with an impressive 704 Test wickets, a record for a fast bowler.
In Nottingham, Wood stepped in to fill Anderson's shoes, consistently delivering express pace throughout the day, with his fastest delivery clocking in at 97.1 mph (156.2 kmh) and maintaining an average speed of around 93 mph.
Wood also struck Alick Athanaze on the helmet when the left-hander was on 48, but Athanaze recovered to score 82 in a crucial fourth-wicket partnership of 175 with Hodge.
"There was one point I was joking with him (Wood), I said 'hey, I have a wife and kids at home!'," said Hodge after stumps.
"He started to laugh and I think it made the century much more satisfying.
"Test cricket is brutal, it is challenging, it is mentally draining. To experience that, facing guys like Mark Wood, it was tough but it was satisfying."
The 31-year-old added: "Some guys got hit but it's part of Test cricket. Kudos to Alick. He bounced back and was able to stand his ground and push on even further. I flinched, I thought I was going to get hit before that."
But the sheer grind of bowling so quickly on a good batting pitch eventually took its toll on Wood, whose career has been blighted by injuries.
He left the field before Friday's close with suspected cramp following a wicketless return of 0-51 in 14.1 overs that was no reward for a determined and skilful display.
"Surprisingly, he said he's never had cramp before. I'm hoping it's just a bit of fatigue," said Paul Collingwood, the England assistant coach.
"He certainly was stretching his hamstring so I presume it's in there somewhere. It's been a hot day, he's put all his effort into every ball. But he had a smile on his face at the end."
The former England all-rounder added: "Everyone watching Woody throw himself 100 percent at every single spell was exceptional and getting up to speeds of 97 mph is everything you want to see in Test cricket."