Mark Wood Declared Fit For First Ashes Test As England Seamers ‘lick Their Lips’ At Surface

Mark Wood is afloat fresh and disposable for action successful nan first Ashes Test connected Friday, having travel done an extended spell of bowling astatine afloat gait successful nan Perth Stadium nets without rumor – earlier emerging pinch his pads connected to person a bat minutes later – arsenic England’s seamers recovered conditions astatine nan crushed truthful bully they were “licking their lips”.

Wood’s near limb was heavy strapped throughout, arsenic it has been since he returned aft room to that knee successful March, but nan tightness successful his hamstring that concerned him during nan first time of England’s warm-up against nan Lions past week has dissipated. It is believed that nan scan he underwent past Friday was chiefly intended to alleviate nan player’s fittingness worries, pinch nan team’s aesculapian unit ne'er hugely concerned.

Jamie Smith was 1 of nan batters who faced Wood successful nan nets connected Tuesday. “He was perfectly accelerated today, I tin show you that first-hand,” he said. “He’s adjacent capable afloat tilt, truthful it’s bully signs for us. It feels like, if he’s bully to spell and nan guidance feels he’s bully to go, I don’t spot why [he wouldn’t play].”

Tuesday’s training convention was England’s first astatine Perth Stadium, aft nan players were fixed 2 days disconnected to get complete nan exertions of their warmup against nan Lions astatine Lilac Hill. Though they person had only distant views of nan ground’s drop-in pitch, nan squad’s seamers recovered conditions successful nan nets overmuch much to their liking than nan softer crushed successful Guildford – though Jofra Archer, pursuing his ain training plan, did not vessel astatine all, his engagement restricted to batting and running.

“Like immoderate accelerated bowler I for illustration a spot of gait and bounce successful immoderate wicket, particularly aft past week astatine Lilac Hill, which evidently wasn’t arsenic quick,” Josh Tongue said. “Bowling successful nan nets, it was a batch much existent bounce and a batch much gait successful nan wicket. I was batting adjacent to Smudge [Smith] erstwhile he was facing Woody and he was decidedly getting it through. I deliberation arsenic bowlers, you decidedly lick your lips.”

While English bowlers person traditionally struggled successful Australia – of those who person bowled astatine slightest 25 overs successful Ashes matches present this period nan apical 12 by bowling mean are each Australian – Tongue is convinced nan existent battalion tin prosper. “I consciousness for illustration nan group of bowlers we’ve sewage now, nan likes of Jofra and Woody pinch nan x-factor of gait and bouncy wickets, nan skills we’ve sewage arsenic a group – I deliberation we tin springiness it a bully shot,” he said.

Wood has not played a first-class crippled since England’s first Test against Sri Lanka successful August 2024 but Cameron Green, nan Australian who has played only 3 times, and bowled a full of 20 overs, since August, said this should not beryllium a concern. “I astir apt would for illustration a fewer much competitory overs but astatine nan aforesaid clip I deliberation it’s a double-edged sword,” he said. “I deliberation you travel into a bid truthful fresh, and I deliberation particularly successful a five-Test bid you want to beryllium arsenic caller arsenic you tin astatine nan backmost end.”

Jamie Smith and Josh Tongue sewage their first sensation of Perth Stadium connected Tuesday. Photograph: Stefan Gosatti/EPA

As wicketkeeper Smith is besides looking guardant to playing successful Australian conditions. “I’m rather excited, proceeding astir a batch of gait and bounce,” he said. “I spent a batch of clip past summertime successful conditions that were reasonably slow and low, opinionated a batch person than normal. It’d beryllium bully here, hopefully pinch that gait and bounce, we tin guidelines a small spot further backmost and that should beryllium an enjoyable challenge.

Smith has said that he would “absolutely not” effort a long-distance stumping of nan type truthful controversially executed by Australia’s Alex Carey astatine Lord’s successful 2023, if chiefly for applicable alternatively than ethical reasons. “Out present I’d beryllium excessively acold backmost to deed nan stumps,” he said. “When I effort to do that worldly successful white-ball games I’m useless astatine it. I wouldn’t deed nan stumps anyway.”

Carey himself refused to beryllium drawn into a speech astir his infamous dismissal of Jonny Bairstow – “I deliberation nan bid is shaping up to beryllium a beautiful bully one, there’s not excessively overmuch hype that needs to beryllium put connected it” – but was prepared to supply an emphatic endorsement for his South Australia teammate Brendan Doggett, nan 31-year-old seamer successful statement to make his world debut this week arsenic a consequence of Josh Hazlewood’s hamstring injury.

“He’s a awesome teammate, really knowledgeable and bowling arsenic good arsenic he ever has,” Carey said. “In his past 5 first-class games he’s taken 4 five-fers, truthful he comes into this squad pinch awesome form. If he does get his chance, I deliberation this wicket will suit him.”