Mark Wood admits frustration over slow progress from elbow surgery

England fast bowler Mark Wood admitted his progress from an elbow operation is going slower than anticipated, leaving him “clutching at straws” to stay upbeat.

Wood has largely been injury-free in the last couple of years and surprised many by sending down the most overs by an England bowler in the Ashes, one of their rare successes in a 4-0 loss in Australia.

But his winter took a turn for the worse in the West Indies as pain in his right elbow meant surgery and withdrawing from a lucrative stint with Lucknow Supergiants in the ongoing Indian Premier League.

Five weeks on, Wood is bowling off half a run up and hopes to be at full tempo in a fortnight before returning for Durham and England in the shorter forms, but a Test comeback remains some way off yet.

On the prospect of being part of good friend Ben Stokes’ new set-up, Wood said: “The back end of the summer is where I’d be looking at for Test matches, nothing early doors. It’s slow going at the minute.

“I’m just struggling to get over that sort of half run up tempo just because every time I bowl, there’s still a bit of swelling. But they’ve assured me that that’s normal, it’s obviously still a bit raw.”

Wood was England’s leading wicket-taker Down Under with 17 scalps at an average of 26.65 and had hoped to be a central figure in the Caribbean in the absence of veteran pair James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

But he broke down in Antigua, depriving him of the chance to push his case, and is now one of several quicks sidelined for England’s three-Test series against New Zealand next month.

“I’m clutching at straws looking for positives. I’m really disappointed with this injury to be honest. The West Indies was a huge disappointment,” Wood added.

“Now I’ve just got to