Wood suffers hamstring scare as he is sent for scans after having bowled two four-over spells before leaving the field.
During their lone warm-up game in Perth, fast Mark Wood developed stiffness in his left hamstring, giving England a serious injury scare ahead of the Ashes.
In his first competitive game in nine months following surgery on his left knee, Wood bowled two four-over periods against the Lions at Lilac Hill. Midway through the second session, after his second four-over spell, he exited the pitch.
“The plan for Mark Wood was for him to bowl eight overs today,” an ECB statement said. “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. It is unlikely he will return to the field today.”
In contrast to what is anticipated in the opening Test at Optus Stadium, Wood had bowled a few of aggressive deliveries on a comparatively calm surface. With offspinner Shoaib Bashir not included in the starting lineup, he is a part of England’s all-out speed attack against the Lions.
In his first game since late July, captain Ben Stokes made an encouraging comeback, taking four of the five wickets to fall before lunch.
Josh Hazlewood, an Australian fast, was cleared of a hamstring issue just one day prior to this development. However, scans on Sean Abbott’s left hamstring revealed a moderate grade strain, leading to Abbott’s withdrawal from the Ashes Test squad.