Scans clear star England paceman of hamstring injury

Veteran England paceman Mark Wood remains an outside chance to feature in the first Ashes Test against Australia after scans cleared him of a hamstring injury.

England's low-key warm-up match at Lilac Hill continued on Saturday, with the England Lions declaring at 6-251 midway through the final day.

It set England a victory target of 202 from 45 overs, and they lost opener Ben Duckett for a first-ball duck after he skied an easy catch.

England slipped to 2-14 when Zak Crawley fell for three.

Wood experienced tightness in his left hamstring on Thursday after bowling his eighth over on the opening day of the three-day practice match.

The 35-year-old was playing his first game since undergoing knee surgery in March, and the hamstring niggle has raised big doubts about his durability.

But scans have cleared him of any damage, and although Wood didn't bowl for England on Saturday, he will train next week in a bid to prove his fitness for the first Test, starting Friday.

"Following precautionary scans on Friday, England fast bowler Mark Wood has been cleared of any concerns regarding his left hamstring," England said in a statement.

"Wood will continue to train as planned in the build-up to the first Test in Perth."

Selecting Wood for the Ashes opener would represent a major risk given his lack of match fitness.

Jofra Archer, who returned figures of 1-51 and 0-15 across two innings on a docile pitch at Lilac Hill, looms as a more likely option for the opening Test.

Archer has played just two Tests over the past four years, but the injury-prone quick has at least been playing for England in the ODI and T20 formats in recent months.

The 30-year-old got through a total of 17.3 overs during the warm-up match.

England's decision to use the intra-team match as their only preparation for the Ashes has drawn widespread criticism.

And the flat and slow nature of the Lilac Hill pitch - which will be in stark contrast to what will greet players at Optus Stadium - has added further heat on England's choice of warm-up.

In reply to the Lions' 375, England posted 426 on Friday, with Ollie Pope (100), Duckett (92 off 97 balls), Zak Crawley (82 off 101) and Ben Stokes (77) among the runs.

Pope's classy knock has all but locked his place in at No.3, fending off a challenge from 22-year-old rising star Jacob Bethell.

Lovely knock, Popey ? pic.twitter.com/2Q9hPQoXLN? England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 14, 2025

But veteran Joe Root was caught for just one after mishitting a pull shot, while Harry Brook was bowled for two after charging down the wicket and dragging Nathan Gilchrist onto his own stumps.

Brook's dismissal came a short time after he hit the deck while attempting an audacious ramp shot.

Root is yet to score a Test century in Australia and his cheap dismissal on Friday means he will enter the first Test lacking significant time in the middle - not that his teammates think it's a big deal.

"He's spent a lot of time in the middle over the last few years, I think he'll be just fine," Crawley said when asked about Root's preparation.

England's pace attack struggled without Wood on Saturday, with Brydon Carse (3-65) the only one to enjoy much success.

Archer only bowled five overs as England look to manage his loads.

Spinner Shoaib Bashir's hopes of selection for the first Test received a blow when he returned figures of 1-83 from 12 overs.