Wood is eyeing Archer reunion

MARK WOOD admits he is excited by the prospect of resuming his World Cup-winning fast-bowling partnership with Jofra Archer during the remaining two Tests against South Africa.

The Durham quick, who turned 30 yesterday, is fit for this week’s third Test here after knee and side injuries kept him out since July’s World Cup final.

Wood and Archer have never played together in a Test and Wood admits he may be more of a chance for the series finale at Wanderers, regarded as one of the quickest pitches in the world.

Yet the fact England have the option of picking two men who can both comfortably breach the 90mph barrier is a big plus after James Anderson was ruled out of the tour with a rib injury.

‘I do like the idea of the two of us operating together in a Test match,’ said Wood. ‘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 95.7 mph and he was 95.6 mph 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, “I’ve done you on the speed gun” and he strolled past fresh as a daisy and 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”.’

Wood’s last Test came 11 months ago against the West Indies in St Lucia, when he took five for 41 and touched 95mph during a spell most observers rated as one of the quickest they had seen from an England bowler.

Wood is confident he can reach those heights again. ‘Absolutely,’ he said. ‘I have felt that if I get fit then there’s no reason why I can’t do that again. Off the back of 2019, the West Indies trip and then the World Cup, I felt I was in great form and great rhythm and that intrinsic feeling of bowling well is what I want to get back to.

‘My right knee had the cartilage cleaned out and that has not been an issue at all since I’ve come back. The only difference now is that I wear a knee pad like a WWE wrestler so that will give me that extra-mean look when I’m running into bowl! When they see that knee pad they’ll know I mean business.’