England Suffer Another Injury Setback Ahead of Fourth Day

Cricket Club News

Published: August 24, 2024 | Updated: August 24, 2024

England’s first Test against Sri Lanka has encountered another injury blow, as fast bowler Mark Wood will not take the field on Saturday due to a right thigh muscle injury.

The reliable pacer, who has enjoyed a stellar summer with the ball for England, pulled up midway through his over on Friday evening and immediately left the pitch to receive treatment. England Cricket has confirmed that Wood will continue to be assessed by the medical team and will not feature on the fourth day’s play.

This latest setback comes as a significant loss for the hosts, who are already without their captain Ben Stokes, who suffered a hamstring injury while playing in The Hundred earlier this month. Additionally, opening batter Zak Crawley is also unavailable for selection, having fractured his finger during the previous Test series against West Indies.

Despite these injury concerns, England remains in a strong position to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Sri Lanka finished day three on 204-6, leading by just 82 runs with only four wickets remaining. The home side will be eager to wrap up the visitors’ innings quickly and set themselves a modest target for victory, though they’ll have to do so without the services of the express pace of Mark Wood.

The fast bowler now faces a race against time to feature in the remainder of the series, with the second Test at Lord’s set to begin on Thursday, followed by the final match at the Oval from September 6-10.

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