England’s fast bowling enforcer Mark Wood has lasted just eight overs in a warm-up clash with the English Lions before succumbing to a hamstring complaint.

Wood has been touted as England’s great hope of returning the Ashes urn for the first time in a decade but he is now in doubt to even play after one day of action at Lilac Hill Park.

In his first red-ball outing in nine months, Wood bowled two four-over spells, one in the morning session and one in the second.

However, he departed the field as soon as he finished his eighth over.

It was originally thought he was taking on fluids but his absence lingered into the final two-hour session, prompting a statement from England revealing he will be sent for “precautionary scans” on his left hamstring on Friday, potentially ruling him out of the remainder of the game at Lilac Hill.

“The plan for Mark Wood was for him to bowl eight overs today,” a spokesman for the ECB said.

“He has some stiffness in his hamstring, which has kept him off the field for some time during the second session of the first day and will undergo a precautionary scan tomorrow.

“He is expected to bowl again in two days’ time. It is unlikely he will return to the field today.”

Wood arrived in Australia with a lingering knee issue that pained him during early training sessions last week.