Wood declares himself fit and ready for the third Test

MARK Wood has not played a competitive game since helping England to victory in the World Cup final almost six months ago, but the paceman is finally ready to launch the next phase of his career.

The Durham seamer has never been better than he was in the first half of 2019, returning to the Test team with a bang in St Lucia and then playing a key role as Eoin Morgan’s side landed the biggest prize in one-day cricket.

In the Caribbean he had been astonishingly quick, finally emerging as the red-ball destroyer England always hoped he could be and then locked down the role that brought him 18 wickets in the triumphant World Cup campaign.

Wood sent down his full 10-over allocation in the famous victory at Lord’s, removing key batsman Ross Taylor, but at a cost. When the winning moment came, Jos Buttler’s endlessly replayed run out of Martin Guptill,

Wood was off the field with a badly torn side that has kept him on the sidelines ever since.

Wood was not considered for the first two Tests against South Africa but, having built his workload in the nets, he woke up yesterday - his 30th birthday - with positive news to share.

“I’ll be putting my name in the hat for this next game,” he said ahead of the third Test.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m 100 per cent because I haven’t bowled the full amount of overs that I should. It is a different kind of intensity and that is why there will be a decision to be made. It will be up to the management whether I’ve bowled enough and am ready to go. But if they were to look at my style of bowling and think it could be beneficial then my name is in the hat.”

With Lancashire’s James Anderson flying home England do have a vacancy in the seam attack, although Jofra Archer is also expected to be fit having had an elbow injury.