Mark Wood declared fit for the first Ashes Test as England seamers ‘lick their lips’ on the surface

Mark Wood is fully fit and available for selection in the first Ashes Test on Friday, having come through a long period of bowling at full speed in the Perth Stadium nets without any problems – before emerging minutes later with his pads on to use a bat – when the England seamers found the conditions on the ground so good they were “licking their lips”.

Wood’s left leg was heavily strapped throughout, as has been the case since he returned from surgery on that knee in March, but the tension in his hamstring that bothered him on the first day of England’s warm-up against the Lions last week has disappeared. It is believed the scan he underwent last Friday was primarily aimed at alleviating the player’s fitness issues, with the team’s medical staff never showing major concerns.

Jamie Smith was one of the batters who faced Wood in the nets on Tuesday. “He was definitely fast today, I can tell you that firsthand,” he said. “He’s almost full enough, so it’s good signs for us. It feels like, if he’s ready to go and management thinks he’s good to go, I don’t understand why [he wouldn’t play].”

Tuesday’s training was the first for England at Perth Stadium after the players were given two days off to get over the exertions of their warm-up against the Lions at Lilac Hill. Although they only had distant views of the ground’s drop-in pitch, the side’s seamers found the conditions in the nets much more to their liking than the softer ground at Guildford – although Jofra Archer, according to his own training plan, did not bowl at all, his involvement limited to batting and running.

“Like any fast bowler I like a bit of pace and bounce in every wicket, especially after last week at Lilac Hill which obviously wasn’t that fast,” Josh Tongue said. “Bowling in the nets, it was a lot more bounce and a lot more pace in the wicket. I batted wide of Smudge [Smith] when he faced Woody and he definitely came through. I think as bowlers you are definitely licking your lips.

While England bowlers have traditionally struggled in Australia – of those who have bowled at least 25 overs in Ashes matches here this century, the top 12 in terms of bowling averages are all Australian – Tongue is confident the current pack can flourish. “I feel like the group of bowlers we have now, like Jofra and Woody with the x-factor of pace and bouncy wickets, the skills we have as a group – I think we can have a good chance,” he said.

Wood has not played a first-class match since England’s first Test against Sri Lanka in August 2024, but Cameron Green, the Australian who has played just three times since August and bowled a total of 20 overs, said this should not be a problem. “I would probably prefer a bit more competitive overs, but at the same time I think it’s a double-edged sword,” he said. “I think you come into a series so fresh, and I think especially in a series of five tests you want to be as fresh as possible at the back.”

As a wicketkeeper, Smith is also looking forward to playing in Australian conditions. “I’m pretty excited and hearing a lot of pace and bounce,” he said. “I spent a lot of time last summer in conditions that were quite slow and low, being a lot closer than normal. It would be nice here, hopefully with that pace and bounce we can be a little further back and that should be a nice challenge.”

Smith has said he would “absolutely not” attempt a long-distance stomping of the type so controversially performed by Australian Alex Carey at Lord’s in 2023, if mainly for practical rather than ethical reasons. “Here I’d be too far back to hit the stumps,” he said. “If I try to do things like that in white-ball matches, I’m useless at it. I wouldn’t hit the stumps anyway.”

Carey himself refused to be drawn into a conversation about his infamous dismissal of Jonny Bairstow – “I think the series is shaping up to be quite good, there’s not too much hype that needs to go into it” – but was prepared to give an emphatic message of support to his South Australian team-mate Brendan Doggett, the 31-year-old seamer who will make his international debut this week following Josh Hazlewood’s hamstring injury.

“He’s a fantastic teammate, very experienced and bowling as well as he’s ever bowled,” Carey said. “In his last five first-class matches he has won four five-fers, so he comes into this side with great form. If he gets his chance, I think this wicket will suit him.”