Stokes' Stunning Return Overshadowed by Wood Injury Blow
England's preparations for the upcoming Ashes series were thrown into disarray on Thursday as pace bowler Mark Wood suffered a hamstring injury during the team's only pre-series warm-up match. The setback for the team's fastest bowler cast a significant shadow over what should have been a day of celebration for the returning captain, Ben Stokes.
Fitness Fears for Key Paceman
The incident occurred during an in-house fixture against Andrew Flintoff's England Lions at Lilac Hill. Wood, 35, who has spent the last nine months sidelined following knee surgery, pulled up sore after his second four-over spell. This development places him as a major doubt for the first Ashes Test, scheduled for next Friday.
A spokesperson for the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed the concern, stating: "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."
Vice-captain Harry Brook addressed the issue at the close of play, remarking, "It’s not ideal, but it’s part of being an extremely fast bowler. We’ll see what happens tomorrow." Wood has been training with heavy strapping on his leg, and even if he is able to bowl in the second innings, selecting him for the series opener would now be a considerable gamble.
Stokes Fires Warning Shot with Six Wickets
In stark contrast to Wood's misfortune, Ben Stokes made a spectacular return to action. Playing his first match since tearing a shoulder muscle against India in July, the England captain claimed six wickets for 52 runs from 16 overs. He demonstrated both guile and stamina, taking two wickets in each session with a steady diet of short-pitched bowling.
His victims included Tom Haines, Test hopeful Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Lawes, and Will Jacks. Brook was full of praise for his skipper, saying, "He’s a proper player isn’t he? It’s good to have him back in the side and leading from the front."
Ripple Effects and Team News
The injury to Wood jeopardises a potent pace plan for England. The idea of unleashing him alongside Jofra Archer on the expectedly fast and bouncy surface at Optus Stadium now looks a long shot. In other team news, spinner Shoaib Bashir was left out of the XI, potentially hinting at England's intentions for the first Test, but he is expected to feature when the Lions bowl in the second innings on Friday.
Meanwhile, Jacob Bethell's unconvincing knock of two runs from 17 balls, ending when he was dismissed by Stokes, likely damaged his prospects of challenging Ollie Pope for the number three batting position. On a gentle pitch, half-centuries were scored by Ben McKinney (67), Jordan Cox (53), Thomas Rew (55), Will Jacks (84), and tailender Matthew Potts (53). Josh Tongue, who replaced the ill Brydon Carse, took one wicket, as did Archer and Gus Atkinson.
