Wood fit for Ashes opener as England 'lick their lips'

Mark Wood is fully fit and available for selection in the first Ashes Test on Friday, having come through an extended spell of bowling at full pace in the Perth Stadium nets without any problems, as England's seamers found conditions at the ground so good they were "licking their lips".

- Simon Burnton

Wood's left leg was heavily strapped throughout, as it has been since he returned after surgery to that knee in March, but the tightness in his hamstring that concerned him during England's warm-up against the Lions at Lilac Hill last week has dissipated.

Jamie Smith faced Wood in the nets. “He was absolutely rapid, I can tell you,” he said. “He’s near enough full tilt, so it’s good signs for us. It feels like, if he’s good to go and the management feels he’s good to go, I don’t see why [he wouldn’t play].”

Yesterday’s training session was England’s first at Perth Stadium, after the players were given two days off to get over the exertions of their warm-up. Though they have had only distant views of the ground’s drop-in pitch, the squad’s seamers found conditions in the nets much more to their liking than the softer ground in last week’s practice game - though Jofra Archer, following his own training plan, did not bowl, instead batting and running.