ENG vs WI | Twitter reacts to fiery Wood bumper smashing into Athanaze's helmet to leave him wincing

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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It takes unimaginable talent to even make it to the Test arena where threats of 90 mph bowling loom large and quite some character to get past one smacking you in the head. However, Alick Athanaze stood his ground with aplomb on Friday after a dizzying Mark Wood spell turned hostile.

West Indies navigated their troubles brilliantly in the second session of Day 2 at Trent Bridge to add 123 runs to their scorecard without losing a single wicket while chasing England's total of 416. Alick Athanaze and Kavem Hodge both brought up their half-centuries, the former being his flamboyant self while the latter employed a more measured approach against some of the fastest bowling Test cricket has ever seen. That being said, it was not all smooth sailing for the duo, as Athanaze quickly learned while on the brink of a maiden Test fifty.

The young batter was up against Mark Wood in the 46th over, whose first spell in the morning session had gone down as the fastest by an English bowler on home soil in the ball-by-ball records era. The veteran quick clearly had his tail up and capitalized on the rhythm by banging in a sharp bumper on the deck to cap off the over. A crouched Athanaze shaped up to duck initially but before he could react, the ball had already travelled at 146 clicks and thumped right into the center of his helmet where the Windies badge is proudly emblazoned. Hodge at the other end, immediately curled up with a wince and turned his head away, feeling the impact of the blow from 22 yards away. However, his teammate valiantly remained on his feet as he took off his helmet and even though the pain was evident on his face, Athanaze dealt with the process like a seasoned veteran with the physio's help.

Meanwhile, Wood and his teammates immediately ran up to the batter's crease to check on their counterpart and the bowler was sporting enough to give his rival a high-five despite the sheer heat of the action. It was enough for Twitterati to flood social media with all sorts of reactions to the dangerous bowling spell and the wholesome moment that followed.

Lethal bouncer

What's going on?

Biggest flex 

Coming and going

Smacked him

Hooking and pulling

Maiden fifity

Fastest at home

Give him money

Money matters

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