Mark Wood has emerged as a major doubt for England’s first Ashes Test after suffering a hamstring injury on day one of their only pre-series warm-up match.
An in-house outing against Andrew Flintoff’s England Lions at Lilac Hill might otherwise have been notable for fit-again captain Ben Stokes taking six for 52, proving his readiness to lead the fight against Australia, but Wood’s fitness scare overshadowed proceedings.
The 35-year-old has spent the last nine months on the sidelines following knee surgery but hopes were high that the country’s quickest bowler would be able to get up to speed in time to feature in the first Test next Friday.
Instead, Wood pulled up sore after his second four-over spell and is now awaiting further assessment to determine the extent of the problem.
A spokesperson for the England and Wales Cricket Board said: “He has some stiffness in his hamstring, which has kept him off the field for some time during the second session of the first day and will undergo a precautionary scan tomorrow. He is expected to bowl again in two days’ time.”
“It’s not ideal, but it’s part of being an extremely fast bowler,” said vice-captain Harry Brook at close of play. “We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
Wood, who missed the entire English summer after twice seeing potential return dates pushed back, has been training with heavy strapping on his leg. Even if he is able to bowl in the second innings it would now represent a significant gamble to consider him for the curtain-raiser.
The idea of unleashing him alongside fellow speedster Jofra Archer on what is expected to be a fast and bouncy surface across the city at Optus Stadium had been gaining traction but looks a long shot after this setback.
There was better news for Stokes, who marked his own comeback appearance with a glut of wickets as the Lions were all out for 382 in the closing moments. Stokes, who had not played since tearing a shoulder muscle against India in July, got through 16 overs and succeeded with a steady diet of short-pitched bowling.
He took two wickets in each session in a show of guile and stamina. He claimed Tom Haines and Test hopeful Jacob Bethell in the morning session, added Jordan Cox and Rehan Ahmed with bumpers and returned in the evening to remove Tom Lawes and Will Jacks.
“He’s a proper player isn’t he?” Brook said of Stokes.
“It’s good to have him back in the side and leading from the front. We obviously haven’t spent much time together in recent times so it was nice for the lads to get out there and get a few overs in.”
Bethell’s unconvincing knock of two off 17 deliveries, which ended when he turned Stokes to square-leg, could well have ended his hopes of dislodging Ollie Pope at number three for the first Test.
The younger man’s prospects dipped during a lean white-ball series against New Zealand and he probably needed a statement innings to reverse the momentum.
Instead, it fell to others to take the opportunity. On a gentle pitch offering bounce but no real menace there were half-centuries for Ben McKinney (67), Cox (53), Thomas Rew (55), Jacks (84) and tailender Matthew Potts (53).
There was one wicket apiece for Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue, who owed his chance to Brydon Carse’s illness.
England left spinner Shoaib Bashir out of their XI, in a possible nod towards their intentions for the first Test, but he will get the chance to impress when the Lions bowl in the second innings on Friday.
