MARK Wood is on the brink of becoming only the third cricketer from Northumberland to play for England. And the previous one was also a paceman from the town more famous for footballers.

It was said of Steve Harmison that had Durham not become a first-class county he would never have left Ashington, whereas Tom Graveney, born in Riding Mill, headed south at an early age to learn his sublime batting skills.

It is hard to imagine Wood staying in one place for long. He is a bundle of energy and fun. Ashington used to have 20-odd working men's clubs, but Wood doesn't drink beer, nor any other kind of alcohol. He doesn't need any assistance to be a happy-go-lucky character.

“I've never felt like I needed to drink,” he said. “When Durham have won trophies I've been on fruit juice. The lads take the mickey about that, but I hope the England players will see me as someone who likes a laugh.”

His sense of fun has seen him indulge in a mock medieval joust with Mark Stoneman in the outfield.

“We do it when things get a bit flat,” he said. “He's the Duke of Sunniside and I'm the Earl of Ashington. We trot around and josh each other. It's a bit mental, but if it benefits the team I'm happy to do it. I don't know how it will go down with England.”

Despite needing to have his left ankle strapped, he insists he feels “robust” after a second successive winter of “smashing myself in the gym” under the ECB's fitness programme for aspiring England pacemen.

Wood was part of the pace squad which spent time at Potchefstroom in South Africa before Christmas, where they came into contact with Olympic 400 metres gold medal winner Christine Ohuruogu.

“She was training by herself and our strength and conditioning coach asked her if she would do a session with us,” said Wood. “She was very professional and some of the stuff she did with us was quite difficult.

“We felt we should give her a taste of what we do so we strapped some pads on her. She tended to favour the leg side but I kept it outside off stump because I didn't want to risk hitting her.”

At 25, Wood has played only 23 first-class games because of a series of injuries. He has bagged four five-wicket hauls for Durham and one for England Lions in the first game of last winter's tour in Sri Lanka. That was his only outing before being sent home with a side injury.

This winter has been trouble free and he took heart from getting through 30 overs in extreme heat in the first innings of the Lions' first unofficial Test against South Africa on a flat pitch in Paarl.

“At first Durham saw me as a reverse swing bowler who would be useful at places like Trent Bridge, where I played all my first three games,” he said. “With the Lions this winter I was given the responsibility of taking the new ball and I thrived on it. If Paul Collingwood asked me to take the new ball for Durham I would snap his hand off.”

Before boarding the plane for the Caribbean on Thursday, Wood recalled that it was on the plane to Dubai for Durham's pre-season trip that he heard of his England selection.

“It was a bit of a shock because I haven't played many games,” he said. “I have enough confidence in my ability to feel I can do well as long as I stay on the pitch. And hopefully I can do that now my body type has changed after the work I've put in over the last two winters. A bit of physio love also helps.”

Wood's presence in the squad indicates the selectors have abandoned their obsession with height after the 6ft 7in trio of Tremlett, Rankin and Finn failed to deliver in last winter's disastrous Ashes series.

Wood is just under six feet and gains his pace from a whippy action after coming out of the blocks like a sprinter on his short, explosive run-up.

“Stuart Broad gave me some advice about that in Potchefstroom,” he said. “I got to know him and James Anderson there, and Alastair Cook texted me last week to say if there was anything I needed to know, just ask.

“Going to the West Indies for the first time with all those big names is a bit intimidating, but I'm sure I'll get on with all of them.”

Referring to Harmison's sensational performance at Sabina Park, Jamaica, in 2004, he joked: “The last Ashington lad to go out there took seven for 12. So there's no pressure on me. Harmy is a family friend and he has given me lots of advice.”

Wood is also looking forward to working with Ottis Gibson, who has returned to the role of England bowling coach. He was in his last season with Durham in 2007 when Wood was in his first in the academy.

“I've spoken to Ottis a few times and everyone speaks highly of him,” said Wood. “He obviously knows everything about bowling in the West Indies. If I can do well in the Caribbean then hopefully I can play a part in the Ashes series. That has to be the ultimate aim.”