The Durham bowler took five wickets from just 21 balls as the hosts were bowled out for 175 before Stokes' swift knock of 57 completed his side's routine chase of 82 to wrap up a 3-0 win.
West Indies resumed at 33-2 on day three, and Mikyle Louis (57) and Kavem Hodge (55) both hit half-centuries as the visitors sought a response.
However, Louis, Jason Holder and Alick Athanaze all went to leave them at 151-5 at lunch.
Wood then took centre stage upon the resumption, taking five wickets in a single spell for the first time in his Test career for the loss of just nine runs.
That left England requiring just 82, and Stokes and Ben Duckett (25) wasted no time in sealing a comprehensive victory after just 7.2 overs.
Data Debrief: Speedy Stokes hits historic half-century
Since 1981, Ian Botham has held the distinction of scoring England's fastest half-century in Test cricket, taking just 28 balls to achieve the feat.
Fast-forward 43 years and Stokes snatched that record in spectacular fashion, reaching 50 in just 24 balls.
The skipper led from the front and finished in style with back-to-back sixes.
The Durham bowler took five wickets in a single spell for the first time in his Test career, as the hosts completed the 3-0 series sweep at Edgbaston.
Wood, who had struggled to break through during the morning on day three of the third Test, was a man on a mission after lunch, dismissing five West Indies batsmen in just 21 balls for the loss of only nine runs.
With the Windies bowled out for 175, Ben Stokes hit the quickest half-century by an England player in Test history to seal a commanding victory.
And Wood said his fortunes in the crease changed following words of wisdom from his recently retired former team-mate.
"I was in a bit of a bad fettle actually at lunch, and I was wondering if it was something I was doing wrong or if I wasn't quite getting the right length," he said.
"I had a great conversation with Jimmy [Anderson], and a couple of the other backroom staff, and he just said, rather than thinking about the outcome, to start thinking about the skill element.
"That first wicket gave me a lot of confidence, and I was able to push on from there."
"I think that's one of the best reverse swing performances I've seen in a long time," Stokes added. "I know bowling at 93 miles per hour is tough, but when it is reverse swinging as well, it's going to be even tougher."
Meanwhile, Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite was left to rue another disappointing Test from his side.
"It was a tough series," he said. "We didn't show a lot of discipline with the ball. We let them off the hook a lot of times, and they were scoring way too fast. We didn't get enough second-innings runs in the last two Test matches."
England lost their final four wickets in relatively short order, though Jonny Bairstow reached 140 to take them past 300 for the first time since August 2021, and were then put on the backfoot by the hosts.
Kraigg Brathwaite (55) and John Campbell (35) put on 83 for the first wicket before England fought back to reduce the Windies to 127-4.
But, on a day truncated by rain, Jason Holder (43 not out) and Nkrumah Bonner (34 not out) reached stumps having put on an unbroken stand of 75 to push the Windies to 202-4, a deficit of 109 runs.
Bemoaning England's inability to make earlier inroads, Wood told Sky Sports News: "I don't think it's about being patient.
"We set higher standards than just being patient - we're out here to win and to play for England. If we're expecting in five or six Test matches' time that will be the answer, it won't.
"As can happen with any bowler, we just didn't get it right at the start and maybe we tried a bit too hard.
"With the void of [Jimmy] Anderson and [Stuart] Broad, maybe we wanted to try a bit hard and prove we can do it as a group.
"Maybe that was it, but I just don't think we started well and the way we came back I think showed good character as a group.
"We fielded well, we had good intensity there, so there were bits of play where I think we did really well.
"It's obviously going to be talked about, Anderson and Broad, because they are legends, but we just have to admit we didn't get it right to start with and we'll be out to get it right next time."
There will also be a reserve day on June 12 if necessary as the top two Test sides do battle to see who will lift the mace as world Test champions.
Those two teams are yet to be finalised, although Australia currently top the rankings while India, who they meet in a four-Test series starting on February 9, are second.
Sri Lanka and South Africa sit third and fourth respectively, with the latter set to take on reigning champions New Zealand in a two-Test series in February.
England are in hot pursuit in fifth after winning eight of their past nine Test matches, while West Indies also have a slim chance of making the final.
New Zealand's hopes of retaining the title they claimed by beating India by eight wickets in Southampton in 2021 are already over, having won just two Test matches since that famous victory.
The frustrated head coach was speaking after the West Indies lost to the Netherlands in a super over on Monday which leaves their chances of qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup in India hanging by a thread.
Having made 374-6, the West Indies were unable to successfully restrict the Dutch side from getting to 374-9 for a tie and triggering a super over. Logan van Beek, who scored 28 from 14 balls to get his side to the super over than smashed three sixes and three fours while scoring 30 runs off Jason Holder’s over.
He then took two wickets and conceded eight runs as the West Indies failed miserably in attempting to overhaul, the record-setting 30-run over by the Netherlands.
Sammy said afterwards, that the West Indies were on track for a possible victory but subsequently lost the plot.
“[At the] halfway stage, 374 on the board, I thought the batters did excellently but again it shows you where we are as a team. We were kind of poor tactically. We didn’t stick to the plans as long as possible and we just thought because we had 375 on the board that we should win, but cricket is not played like this,” he said.
“And it’s a lesson for us that you can’t take any game of cricket for granted.”
The head coach who was appointed just last month, believes his team approaching its nadir but remained optimistic about its future.
“I am a very positive thinker and I understand the journey that I have to take with this team. Sometimes you’ve got to reach rock bottom to come back up,” he said.
“I understand the challenges ahead and I also understand that things will not change overnight and it’s a true reflection of where our cricket is at the moment and we have a lot of work to do.”
The loss to the Netherlands means the West Indies, two-time champions, now face the near impossible task of qualifying for the World Cup. They must now win all their Super Six matches while hoping that Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka lose two of theirs and that the Netherlands lose at least one of theirs in order to qualify.
The Proteas hammered the Windies by an innings and 63 runs in the first Test since Dean Elgar was appointed as South Africa captain. They only need to avoid defeat at the same venue in the second match, starting on Friday, to wrap up the two-game series.
Not since March 2017 have South Africa secured a series victory on tour in the longest format, that success coming against New Zealand.
Until the opening success over West Indies last week, the South Africans had not won any Test match away from home since beating England in July 2017 at Trent Bridge.
West Indies were embarrassed on the outskirts of Gros Islet, in St Lucia, where they were skittled out for only 97 in the first innings and could only muster 162 second time around.
The pitiful first-innings total was the lowest West Indies have been dismissed for against South Africa, with Lungi Ngidi taking 5-19 and Anrich Nortje 4-35.
Quinton de Kock made a magnificent 141 to pick up the man of the match award before Kagiso Rabada steamed in to claim figures of 5-43 in the second innings, putting the tourists 1-0 up in the battle for the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy.
Kraigg Brathwaite's home side must come out fighting on Friday as they attempt to salvage a 1-1 draw, eager to end a run of nine Tests without a win over South Africa.
Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel and batsman Darren Bravo have been recalled by the Windies, while Nkrumah Bonner is unavailable for selection due to concussion protocol after he was substituted in the opening Test.
MARKRAM: MORE TO COME FROM PROTEAS
South Africa could not have wished for a better start to the series, but opening batsman Aiden Markram says the tourists can move to another level.
Markram said: "It will be tough to better that performance. I'm hoping we've got more percentage in terms of being better for the next Test. I'm positive we've got something more in us."
He added: "It doesn't matter the result, if you win or lose the game, because if you're operating at the standard we've set as a team, then more often than not you'll get good results. We're pretty inexperienced, so the only thing we can measure ourselves against is the standards we set for ourselves."
FORMER SKIPPER URGES WINDIES CRITICS TO HOLD FIRE
Critics rounded on West Indies following their drubbing in the first Test, but former captain Jason Holder called for patience.
The top-ranked Test all-rounder said: "We have a relatively inexperienced batting line-up. There are guys who are looking to re-engage with Test cricket and others trying to engage in the Test arena.
"All these things add up. We need to be a little bit more patient. We've seen what they can produce, with the performances just in the recent past."
KEY OPTA FACTS
- West Indies are winless in their last six Tests on home soil (D2, L4); their last victory in the Caribbean was a 10-wicket triumph over England in February 2019.
- South Africa have a catch success rate of 81.7 per cent since the beginning of 2017 in Tests, the highest of any team. They have held on to 451 of their 552 opportunities.
- Since his debut in February 2014, no wicketkeeper has registered more dismissals in men's Tests than De Kock (221 – 210 catches and 11 stumpings).
- The Proteas' win in the first Test was their first at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium – having lost an ODI and two Twenty20 Internationals at the venue.
The hosts posted 159-5 off their 20 overs after winning the toss and choosing to bat.
Brandon King led the way with a run-a-ball 42 while Captain Rovman Powell made a rapid 19-ball 40* including one four and three sixes.
Kuldeep Yadav took 3-28 from his four overs for India.
India’s chase started shakily with the wickets of debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill within the first five overs.
Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma then combined to put on a match-winning 87-run third wicket partnership.
Yadav led the way with a shot-filled 44-ball 83 including 10 fours and four sixes while Varma ended 49* off 37 balls.
Captain Hardik Pandya also chipped in with 20* off 15 balls as India finished 164-3 off 17.5 overs.
Alzarri Joseph took 2-25 from his four overs for the Windies.
The West Indies now have a 2-1 lead in the series heading into the final two games.
The series will now move to Florida for the fourth and fifth T20Is on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Having already lost the series heading into the final match on Sunday, West Indies had their tails up when they had India on just 93-4 towards the end of the 14th over in Kolkata.
Ruturaj Gaikwad – one of four changes for the hosts – was dismissed early on, with Shreyas Iyer falling to Hayden Walsh (1-30) on 25, and Roston Chase (1-23) sending Ishan Kishan packing for 34.
Captain Rohit managed just seven, yet Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer combined to hit 86 in the final five overs to reach 184-5.
Yadav's brilliant knock was ended by Romario Shepherd (1-50) on 65 from just 31 balls, as Venkatesh Iyer finished unbeaten on 35.
Deepak Chahar (2-15) took two early wickets to immediately put the Windies on the back foot, only to pull up with an injury and be forced off.
Rovman Powell's 25 off 14 got the run rate up, but he fell in the seventh over, with captain Kieron Pollard (five) swiftly following.
Jason Holder (two) and Chase (12) also went in quick succession, though Nicholas Pooran (61) stayed in to give the Windies hope.
However, Shardul Thakur (2-33) undid the Windies opener in the 18th over, all but ending any lingering hopes.
Stunning late show from India pair
There was some sensational batting on show from Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer, who hit seven and two sixes respectively. They added 91 off 37 deliveries to put the game, truly, beyond the West Indies' reach.
With the ball, Harshal Patel took 3-22 to pick up the slack after Chahar's injury.
India on a roll
India have now won 13 T20Is against the West Indies, only against Sri Lanka (14) have they won more.
Indeed, they also extended their winning streak in the format to nine games, their longest such run in the format. They will go up against Sri Lanka in their next series.
The leg-spinner and left-handed batter suffered a nasal fracture when he was struck in the face during a training session last Saturday while preparing for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe.
The procedure was performed in Harare on Thursday evening. Cariah will remain with the squad under the care of the CWI Medical Team whilst he recovers. A decision on when he can return to play will be made in the coming days, as the medical team support his recovery.
Assistant Coach, Floyd Reifer, was also struck in the face during a training session on Wednesday and has also undergone a similar procedure. Reifer will continue his coaching duties under the supervision of the CWI Medical Team.
West Indies have so far played two ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier matches in the group stages, defeating United States on Sunday and Nepal on Thursday, to sit top of Group A with two group stage fixtures to play. West Indies will face Zimbabwe on Saturday June 24 and Netherlands on Monday June 27.
In the group stage, each side plays the other group teams once with the top three from each group progressing to the Super Six stage. Each team carries over to the Super Six stage any points won against the other two qualifying teams from their group. Each team in the Super Six will then play three further matches against the qualifying teams from the opposite group.
The Super Six stage will be played from Thursday 29 June to Friday 7 July and the top two teams in the final Super Six table will qualify for the ICC 2023 Cricket World Cup to be played in India later this year.
West Indies ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Group Stage Match Schedule
All matches start at 9am local time (3am Eastern Caribbean/2am Jamaica)
Sunday 18 June: West Indies beat USA by 39 runs at Takashinga Cricket Club
Thursday 22 June: West Indies beat Nepal by 101 runs at Harare Sports Club
Saturday 24 June: v Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club
Monday 26 June: v Netherlands at Takashinga Cricket Club
The final 15 selected to represent the West Indies, for the tournament in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, has stirred up considerable debate in the Caribbean, with several questioning the age of the squad. At current, the team boasts four players over the age of 35, with an average age of 30.6.
Pollard, however, sees the likes of Chris Gayle, Ravi Rampaul, and Lendl Simmons in the squad, several of who have won multiple World Cups, as a major advantage, particularly in tight situations.
“It’s great to have all these guys and myself playing together again,” Pollard told India.com.
“This hasn’t happened in a very long time. No matter which way you look at it you can’t beat experience because we have seen different scenarios time and time again,” he added.
“We react (to those scenarios) and we get the other players to react and understand the magnitude of what we are in and what we are about to do. Having guys like that to lean on is great, and guys that can get you out of situations where people might think, or you might think as well, that you can’t get out of.
“The younger guys get to learn and get to understand some of the things that are needed to be successful, especially from a T20 aspect. As I’ve said before, we would have seen it time and time again all over the world, different situations, different conditions, different bowlers – having guys like that to help the younger guys, I think you can’t ask for anything better than that.”
After setting a fair target of 160 for 6, the Sri Lanka spinners, led by Lakshan Sandakan and Wanindu Hasaranga, spun a restrictive web that eventually had the Windies all out for 117.
On Tuesday, chasing a smaller target, the Windies had been able to smash through thanks in large part to a fierce 38 from Pollard. This time, however, it was the Sri Lanka spinners who took centre stage. Particularly Hasaranga, who accounted for Gayle and Simmons, in his 3 for 17, Sandakan accounted for Pollard.
The captain, however, had special commendation for the bowling unit who restricted Sri Lanka late in the innings after a fast start. Danushka Gunathilaka, who top-scored with 56, partnered with Pathum Nissanka to put on a blistering 94 off the first 10 overs.
“If you told us we were going to bowl them out for 160 today, we would have taken that. I just know that we did not assess the situation quickly and we had a couple of soft dismissals," Pollard said following the match.
“They got off to a flyer and scored 90 odd in the first 10 overs, but these things happen. You don’t expect them to come and lie down and just roll over. I thought the guys came back in the last 10 overs and really executed with the yorkers and slower balls, using the dimensions of the pitch and the ground,” he added.
The relatively inexperienced India team ended a 32-year unbeaten run for the Aussies on the back of a stellar innings from Rishabh Pant. The team’s performance broke Australian hearts, and records as well, with the mammoth target of 328 runs representing the highest ever successful runs chase at the venue. It was achieved with 3 wickets remaining.
Heading into the series as huge underdogs, the team owed a large part of the victory to resilience, Shubman Gill's crucial 91 and the dogged determination of Cheteshwar Pujara who faced 211 deliveries and 10 body blows to defend the Border-Gavaskar trophy on a dramatic final day.
For, Mohammed, who will lead a hastily assembled and likewise inexperienced squad against Bangladesh, starting on Wednesday, there is plenty about the India performance to draw encouragement from.
“It’s obviously something we will look to. It depends on the day and how you play,” Mohammed told members of the media via a press conference call on Tuesday.
“A lot of the guys will be making their debut, but once you have that belief and belief within the team that you can do well and that you can win games then these things are achievable and it showed in the India versus Australia series,” he added.
“We have the same mindset. We are just looking to play some good cricket starting tomorrow and hopefully, the results will be on our side as well.”
Munro’s blistering 65 from 54 balls provided the anchor in a 19-runs win for the dominant Knight Riders, who put 184 on the board before restricting the Tallawahs to 165. The win was the team’s seventh in a row.
The shot-making top-order batsman had gotten off to a solid start to the campaign, previously hitting 49 against the Tallawahs and 50 against the Tridents. The player, however, hit a rough patch after failing to score against both the Tridents and Warriors in the last two games.
“It was a big relief. I hadn’t gone duck, duck in the CPL before and even though I’m experienced you start doubting yourself a little bit,” Munro said after the game.
“I had some really good chats with some senior players and the coach and I don’t have to prove anything to anybody here. The boys back me, they believe in me 100 percent. I had a little bit of luck and got tired towards the end, which didn’t help.”
The West Indies had resumed from their overnight score of 112-0 with both batsmen on 55.
In the 48 overs possible on Sunday because of a wet outfield caused by heavy downpour on Saturday, the 26-year-old Chanderpaul, playing in only his third Test, progressed to score 101 not out.
His 100 came up off 296 balls and included 10 fours and a six. It was the first time since 2013 that a West Indies opener other than Brathwaite had scored a Test century.
Brathwaite, meanwhile, had scored yet another century to be unbeaten on 116. His ton that included only seven fours came from 226 balls.
The 221-run opening stand marked the first time West Indies has put on a double-century opening partnership since 2012 and was just the 10th double century opening partnership in West Indies history and the seventh pair to do so.
The partnership was also the highest ever opening stand against Zimbabwe.
The 150-run stand came up in 67.2 overs while the 200-run partnership was achieved in 83.2 overs.
Jayden Seales did the damage with the ball to hustle Australia out for 179 and Young’s measured innings in reply saw West Indies to victory with 24 balls to spare of their Group B opener.
Young was the matchwinner for the Windies with a priceless 61 from 69 balls just as Australia were bearing down on his side’s tail.
"It's good to get a win," Young said. “It doesn’t matter the opponent, but it is good to get it against Australia. I am happy to get it across the line, and I think it shows how we fight with the ball and the bat.”
Australia batted first and were bowled out for just 179. Jake Fraser-McGurk fought a lone battle, with a defiant 84 from 97 balls at the top of the order.
Wickets tumbled around him though as Seales (four for 49) and Matthew Forde (three for 24) ran riot. Patrick Rowe struck 40 to give the young Aussies a sniff, but 179 was well below par.
Windies slipped to 92 for five in the chase, thanks chiefly to a fine spell of leg-spin bowling by Tanveer Sangha whose promise has already seen him feature in the Big Bash League.
His four for 30 ran the Windies desperately close, and they breathed a sigh of relief when his allocation came to an end.
Beyond the mystery of Sangha, West Indies found comfort through Young's mature knock and got home with three overs and as many wickets to spare.
The 21-year-old, who last played for the West Indies in July is expected to represent the English club for the first three months of the 2023 season, which is scheduled to get underway in April.
During the period the player will have the opportunity to take part in both the team’s Championship and T20 games. The young bowler, who became the youngest player to take five wickets for the West Indies in Tests, last year against Pakistan, was understandably excited for the opportunity.
“As a young fast bowler, I like to find myself facing as many different situations and challenges as possible,” Seales said.
“I can’t wait to test myself in England and hopefully contribute to a winning start for Sussex in both Championship and T20 cricket.”
Chasing an improbable 272 for victory, Zimbabwe closed on 134-6, still 138 runs away but with only four second-innings wickets remaining.
West Indies had resumed on 21-0 with the West Indies Captain Kriagg Brathwaite on 11 and Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 10. The pair would add only another 11 runs before Brad Evans broke the partnership bowling Chanderpaul for 15.
Brathwaite was trapped lbw by Wellington Masakadza for 25 which brought Reifer and Blackwood together. Together they mounted a stand of 107 that was broken when Masakadza held onto a return catch off his own bowling to dismiss Reifer for 58.
He picked up his fourth wicket of the match when he had Blackwood caught behind for 57 to end with figures of 3-71.
Evans picked up his second wicket when he had Roston Chase caught behind for 14 after which Kyle Mayers and Joshua Da Silva added another 23 runs before the declaration came.
Mayers remained unbeaten on 17 and Da Silva, nine.
Evans took 2-41.
Zimbabwe lost an early wicket when Motie got Tanunurwa Makoni for nine with the score at 14 but Innocent Kaia and Chamu Chibhabha resisted sternly taking the score to 61 when Kaia got out caught by Brathwaite off Motie’s bowling for 24.
Chase dismissed Chibhabha for 31 with the score at 83 and shortly after Motie claimed Craig Irvine for 17 with no addition to the score as Zimbabwe slipped to 83-4.
Zimbabwe now required another rescue act from first innings century maker Gary Ballance. However, Ballance had made only 18 when Chase had him caught behind to have Zimbabwe in trouble at 119-5. It was soon 120-6 when Motie trapped Brad Evans for a duck.
However, Tafadzwa Tsiga, resisted the West Indies surge for 83 balls to remain 24 not out at the end while Wellington Masakadza, faced 36 balls without scoring as time ran out for the West Indies.
For his unbeaten 207, Chanderpaul was named Player of the Match.
The rain-affected fixture the Tridents posted 131 for 7 in their turn at the crease, before the showers caused a delay in the game. On the resumption, the Zouks posted 50 for 3 to win the match. Unusually, however, in attacking the Tridents early on, Sammy used eight bowlers.
Mohammad Nabi was the star with the ball, his varying pace, and reading the batsmen's intentions, gave neither right- nor left-hander any room, and he got his arm ball to deviate like a leg-cutter. Sammy bowled Nabi out early the rest of his off-spinners ripped through the Tridents’ middle order.
With the death overs approaching he went to his third off-spinner, Roston Chase, who picked up Jonathan Carter and Kyle Mayers in consecutive balls. Deyal, yet another off-spinner, became the eighth bowler used and the fifth to take a wicket as Andre Fletcher took a good catch off Raymond Reifer’s outside edge.
“Today, the mix-up with the bowlers, everyone I called on, the spinners, in the middle, they responded so that’s a good sign for us going forward,” Sammy said following the game.
“I think we have a good all-round team, today I probably used eight or seven bowlers. So, everybody is equipped for different situations. If a team has a few left-handed we have a couple of spinners to turn the ball away from them and when the team has right-handers we have the left-armers and chinaman bowlers. So, I’m really happy with the guys that we have.”
