Paceman Strives to Refine Variations as He Regrets Missed Wicket Against Scotland
Despite the rain-interrupted match between England and Scotland in Barbados, the defending champions revealed more about their capabilities than their opponents, aside from Scotland’s fearless openers who tackled both express pace and spin with equal aplomb.
The experienced and skilled English bowling attack managed to create just one chance in half an innings, with an appreciation for Michael Jones’ drives and pulls, and George Munsey’s array of sweeps. Scotland were 31 for 0 in the fifth over when Munsey skied a miscue off Mark Wood, but a no-ball call from the third umpire dashed England’s celebrations.
“I was panicking,” Wood admitted the morning after the match. “You just don’t want it on your mind… If any of the others was the no-ball, I’m probably sitting here thinking, I’ve got one-for whatever, it’s not a problem, but because I’m getting the wicket off that ball, it hurts the team.”
Wood, who was selected ahead of Reece Topley to open the bowling, has been working on a slightly-slower-ball variation, which he utilized in his second over against Scotland. Munsey punched the first of these through the covers, and the second one hit the splice of his bat off a good length.
“That seemed to go okay,” Wood said. “I thought yesterday’s wicket was going to be different, when you stood on it it was hard but when you bowled the ball stuck in the wicket a bit, quite slow. So it made the cutters more effective, not the slower-ball ones but the fast cutters.”
Wood has yet to unveil another variation he’s been developing, but agrees that cross-seam bowling could be crucial on Caribbean pitches, as mastered by Liam Plunkett in the 2019 World Cup.
The paceman’s previous experience in the Caribbean during England’s tour ahead of the 2019 World Cup has been supplemented by insights from Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, and Kieron Pollard, who has joined the coaching staff as a specialist consultant for this tournament.
“He carries an aura and is very respected in the group because he’s done so much and I think knowing the conditions is going to be vital going forward,” Wood said of Pollard.
Saturday’s match against Australia could have significant implications for Group B, and Wood is well aware of the importance. “Lose, and I’m sure for you guys in the media there will be questions asked like the last World Cup in India, so it’ll be an important game for us and one we’ll be desperately trying to win.”
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