Rock on, Wood

MARK OUT TO BE THE MEANEST, TOUGHEST ENGLAND GUN.. JUST LIKE ARCHER

MARK WOOD is desperate to feature in South Africa and rekindle his pace race with Jofra Archer.

The speedy duo are yet to play a Test match together after their fast show in the ODI side that led to World Cup glory last year.

And if England do put the pair on the park together at the same time, expect their contest over who is the quickest of them all to continue at the expense of the opposition.

Wood is hoping to get the nod to replace Jimmy Anderson, who was ruled out last week with a rib injury.

Wood, 30, said: “When I’ve been in the team we have that sort of friendly competition.

“But deep down Jofra’s trying to prove that he’s the meanest, toughest fast bowler out there, as am I.

“We both want each other to do well, but we both want to be the quickest guy on show and we have a friendly rivalry over the speed gun.

“In the World Cup final I knew that I’d pipped him. I was clocked at 95.7mph and he was 95.6mph, and as we came off the field and into the dressing room I was dying to tell him.

“I said to him as he walked in ‘Jofra! I’ve got you! I’ve done you on the speed gun’.

“And he strolled past fresh as a daisy, looked me up and down with an ice pack on my side, an ice pack on my knee and an ice pack on my ankle and just said, ‘Yeah, but I think I’d rather be me’ and I was like ‘Yeah, fair enough, mate.’ I do like the idea of the two of us operating together in a Test match.

“Just as long as he’s not at mid-off asking me if I’m just warming up when I’ve bent my back!”

The fact that Wood was able to get such top speeds out of his body in the World Cup final came at a cost as he tore his side, and he has not played a game since.

A right knee injury has also come and gone, along with a bout of illness on this tour, but Wood is now back at full tilt and looking for the chance to back up his last Test performance in the win over the West Indies in St Lucia.

It was a breakthrough display from Wood as he claimed 5-41 before going on to be a World Cup winner.

And it is why England’s bowling department now has both Wood and Archer competing with Chris Woakes to replace Anderson in Port Elizabeth on Thursday.

“I got through 35 overs last week in training, which is probably similar to a Test match week,” said Wood.

“But having not bowled competitively since the World Cup it is about building up, and I’ll be putting my name in the hat for this next game,

“If I’m honest, I think Jofra and Woakesy are ahead of me in the pecking order, but Port Elizabeth does reverse swing so that could bring me to the fore.”

I said to him, ‘Jofra, I’ve got you. I’ve done you on the speed gun’

THE EYES HAVE IT: Mark Wood (left) has set his sights on Jimmy Anderson’s (right) pace place