Mark Wood targets Durham comeback
England fast bowler Mark Wood hoped to prove his fitness for the Ashes series with a county return next month.
England pacer Mark Wood is aiming for a return to county cricket with Durham next month as he looks to prove his fitness for the Ashes tour of Australia later this year.
Wood has not played a Test match since August last year and has been recovering from a knee injury he picked up during the ICC Champions Trophy in February. The right-arm quick was seen limping off the field in England’s group match against Afghanistan in that tournament, which forced him into a lengthy layoff.
The experienced seamer revealed he was close to playing in the final Test of England’s recent home series against India but a setback during training delayed his comeback.
“The injury is all right,” Wood said on the Stick to Cricket podcast. “It was 50-50 whether I was going to make the India Test but I was bowling at Lord’s and then, the next day, my knee swelled up again so I had it drained and since then it’s just been about taking things easy looking ahead to the winter.”
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Wood’s availability will be crucial for England as they attempt to win their first Ashes series in Australia since 2011. The 35-year-old, who claimed 14 wickets in just three Tests during the last Ashes series in England, is expected to play a key role alongside Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes, provided Woakes overcomes his own injury concerns.
Wood plans to feature in at least one of Durham’s County Championship matches next month — against Essex (September 8), Worcestershire (September 15) or Yorkshire (September 24) — to prove his readiness for the first Ashes Test, starting in Perth on November 21.
“I’ll try and play one or two of those matches,” Wood said. “I’ve been well looked after and very cautious. I value it as they’ve got this end game where they want me to get to Australia. But I said to (England coach Brendon McCullum) Baz McCullum I can’t just bowl to a net for four months, I’ll go insane.
“There’s a bowling camp in Loughborough in a tent – getting acclimatised there ready for Perth – then I’ll go over to Perth early with a couple of bowlers. We’ll arrive about a week early to prepare and get acclimatised.”
Wood’s pace remains a major weapon for England. During the 2022 T20 World Cup, he touched 155kph against New Zealand — the fastest ball of the tournament — underlining the threat he can bring to the Ashes if fully fit.
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Last Updated on August 28, 2025
