Wood looks to show he has X factor

MARK Wood has stepped up his bid to prove he is the man to provide England with the “X factor” they are looking for in the third Test against South Africa.

With James Anderson back home nursing a broken rib, the tourists are in need of a replacement and would dearly love it to be someone capable of topping 90mph and getting under the batsmen’s skin.

Wood and Jofra Archer tick that box but both men have question marks over their fitness. Wood has not played competitively in the six months since England’s World Cup final win, and was named man of the match in his last Test appearance almost a year ago, while Archer has been suffering soreness in his right elbow.

The pair have been hitting the nets over the past two days and it is Wood who has thrust himself to the fore for Thursday’s clash in Port Elizabeth.

He has bowled at full intensity in both sessions, turning in a fiery spell yesterday and at one stage thumping teammate Joe Denly on the glove with a rapid delivery.

Archer, who took six wickets in the series opener at Centurion, is improving but was visibly slower than Wood as they bowled side by side under the gaze of head coach Chris Silverwood, seemingly short of his fearsome best.

Both men stuck to a single spell, rather than putting themselves through a second later in the session, and will be monitored closely in the 48 hours leading up to the Test.

Any concerns about their durability would bring Chris Woakes back into the frame as a reliable stand-in for Anderson.

Assistant coach Paul Collingwood said: “We have enough bowlers in and around the county circuit who can bowl at 82-85mph and try to nip it around. You want the likes of Wood and Archer to give you that X factor. Here at Port Elizabeth it’s generally a slower pitch so having that kind of X factor, if these guys are fit and raring to go at 100 per cent intensity, it would be great to be able to call upon one of those bowlers.”