Mark Wood

Whether coming off his short or long run, the Durham seamer can generate genuine pace and is capable of hurrying even the world's very best batsmen

The Cricketer | 04/05/2019 at 07:29

Born: January 11, 1990

Role: Right-hand bat, right-hand fast

Hailing from Ashington in Northumberland, the same location as idol Steve Harmison, Mark Wood differs from the former England fast bowler with his skiddy, hit-the-deck nature which not only generates movement but also often does the batsmen for pace with his regular 90mph deliveries.

Standing at 6ft tall, Wood began his career at Northumberland in 2008 before joining Durham in 2011, where he took 19 wickets at 21.63 in his first five first-class appearances, including a match-winning 5-78 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

However, another former England player instigated Wood’s ascension into the England side, as Paul Collingwood’s desire to promote the younger members of Durham’s squad saw him have a breakout summer in 2013.

He claimed 27 first-class wickets at 24.07 as Durham claimed the Championship title, and that was enough for him to earn a place on an England Lions tour to Sri Lanka.

But as it has over many times during his career, injury prevented him from taking part in that tour, before consistent performances saw him make his ODI debut in 2015 and claim his first wicket against Ireland and his Test bow against New Zealand at Lord’s.

He claimed 14 wickets in his first four Test matches, and went on to unsettle batsmen in the shorter format, but soon enough it was evident that he would have to be managed after the 2015 Ashes if they were to get the best out of him.

However, after helping Durham to the NatWest T20 Blast final, further ankle and heel issues in 2016 and 2017 saw him lose his England contract.

But even still selectors could not resist his raw pace nor potential, but it has been a rocky 18 months for Wood who, after a horror show in the IPL with Chennai Super Kings in 2018, only really started to stake a claim for the squad in the West Indies in February after taking seven wickets from four matches.

Yet his talent in home conditions was evident from his very first home series against New Zealand four years ago, and England will know he has the tools to trouble the vast number of world-class batsmen arriving on these shores this summer.

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