Durham's Wood eyes England return

The sight of Jofra Archer in his ECB hi-vis, jogging around the shortened boundaries at Edgbaston, with drinks for his England team-mates during the second Test against India this week, will have cheered the hearts of the Barmy Army.

The question now is when will his England and Durham pace pal Mark Wood join him and the rest of the Ashes-bound crew?

The answer may lie in Durham...

The high speed pair will be key to England’s Ashes hopes when the party heads Down Under at the end of the year, and both will have the summer, and the remaining matches in the entertaining series against India, to prove their fitness to captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.

The imaginative management pair are keen to travel to Oz with as many fully fit fasties as possible – including the captain, of course – so the next two months are crucial.

Durham's Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes opened the bowling in the first two Tests against India – with support from new boy Josh Tongue – while Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone and Saqib Mahmood are on the recovery trail after injuries.

Wood has been back in the nets after knee surgery in March, and he has pencilled in a return for Durham before he rejoins an England squad at the back end of the current series.

Archer, who has been out of the Test squad for more than four years after a series of injuries, surgeries and setbacks, played just one game for his county Sussex – against Durham – before Stokes brought him back ahead of the Edgbaston match. 

The England skipper revealed Archer had been recalled to take part in net sessions, but also to reintegrate with his international team-mates after such a long break and to sample the positive energy generated in the 'Bazball' camp. 

His ovation from England supporters as he carried out simple 12th man duties must have cheered Stokes as much as Archer himself.

Wood, of course, doesn't need much to put a smile on his face.

But he has been through the injury and rehab ringer again this spring, and will be as keen as ever to get back to full throttle and challenge the Aussie batting line-up.

The Ashington-born flyer, now 35, has been in the BBC pitchside studios for the India games, and clearly has his eye on the fifth and final Test at The Oval from July 31, which may benefit his county.

Durham are sixth in the County Championship table after nine matches and now have a three-week gap from league action with six T20 Blast matches, starting against Nottinghamshire at the Banks Homes Riverside ground, in Chester-le-Street, tonight (Friday, July 4).

Even if he can get through a few more net sessions untroubled, it's unlikely Wood will feature in any of the upcoming T20 matches against Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire or Northamptonshire over the next two weeks.

Instead, he could be pencilled in for a return when the County Championship resumes against Somerset on July 22, provided his rehab stays on track.

“I still have that hope,” Wood said this week.

“Jofra is ready to go now, I still have a bit to go and there are plenty of other bowlers around, so I wouldn't necessarily say it is definitely me and him pencilled in.

“In the pack of bowlers, we don't want it to feel like we are competing against each other.

“We want it as a rounded group, where we can do damage against India and Australia.

“That's what we're hoping for, but I don't think there are guarantees for any of us.

“We all need to put in performances.

“It would be lovely to play with Jofra, but we've got to get up to speed and deserve that spot.”

Meanwhile, Durham’s men and women host a T20 double-header at the Riverside today (Friday, July 4), as Notts Outlaws and Somerset visit Chester-le-Street.

The action begins in the afternoon with the new Durham Women’s team taking on Somerset, followed by the men’s Vitality Blast clash with Notts Outlaws at 6.30pm at the Banks Homes Riverside.

Later this month, the spotlight turns to international cricket as England Women face India in a One Day International on Tuesday, July 22. 

Expect a world-class showdown between Smriti Mandhana, the top-ranked women’s ODI batter, and home-grown Sophie Ecclestone, the world’s leading ODI bowler.

Families can make the most of the day with the Riverside’s Family Zone Fun, packed with kid-friendly entertainment including face painting, cricket skills challenges, and interactive games. There’s also a dedicated fan zone for adults to enjoy.

Find out more and book your tickets in advance here.

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