England breathed a sigh of relief as fast bowler Mark Wood was cleared of injury concerns ahead of the Ashes.
The England management and the entire cricketing setup can now relax after Wood’s scan report came back clear, showing no damage. There is no doubt he will be available for the first Test of the series.
Wood had left the field during Friday’s warm-up at Lilac Hill in Perth after bowling two spells of four overs each, feeling some discomfort in his left hamstring. The scans that followed created a tense waiting period, as England were counting on the pace spearhead to play a key role in their bowling attack. Thankfully, the board confirmed that Wood has no hamstring issues.
As a precaution, the injury-prone bowler will not feature further in the warm-up match but will continue training with the squad.
Wood has had a challenging year with injuries. After suffering a knee problem during the Champions Trophy in February, he hasn’t played any competitive cricket this English summer. He was expected to feature in one of the Tests against India but was ultimately left out. England are taking extra care this time, especially with the Ashes in mind, as the 36-year-old could be playing his final series.
The Ashes series begins this Friday with the first Test at Perth’s Lilac Hill.
England also received another boost as fast bowler Brydon Carse returned to the field midway through the warm-up match after recovering from illness.
