NewsScans confirmed on Saturday that Mark Wood has no hamstring tear, easing English nerves just days before the first Ashes Test in Perth. The right-arm quick, who felt stiffness in his left hamstring after two brisk four-over spells at Lilac Hill, was pulled from the field on Friday and sent straight for imaging.
“Following precautionary scans on Friday, England fast bowler Mark Wood has been cleared of any concerns regarding his left hamstring,” the ECB said in a statement. The board added that Wood will carry on with his normal training programme in the lead-up to the opener on 21 November.
Whether that translates into a place in the XI is another matter. England have managed the 35-year-old carefully since the knee problem he picked up at the Champions Trophy back in February. Hopes of a late-summer appearance against India were shelved when that knee flared up again, forcing him to miss the entire home Test stretch.
Even so, the early signs at Lilac Hill were encouraging. Wood hit a tidy rhythm on a surface offering little assistance, clocking speeds that had England’s coaching staff nodding. The discomfort arrived later, prompting the medical team to act quickly rather than risk a genuine strain.
Bowling coach Neil Killeen didn’t offer guarantees but sounded optimistic on Saturday morning. “He’s ticking the boxes we need him to tick,” he told host broadcaster radio, adding that workload rather than raw pace will decide the final call.
Selection meetings this week will weigh up Wood’s match fitness against a healthy fast-bowling queue: Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Matt Potts, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse—who recovered from illness to field on Saturday—and, of course, Ben Stokes, pencilled in for shorter bursts.
For now, England will treat the scan result as a small win and keep the training loads sensible. The real judgement arrives in five days, when the captain and coach decide if Wood’s pace is worth the calculated gamble.
