Ben Stokes Claims 6 Wickets in English Ashes Preparation Match

Practice match, Perth venue (first day of 3)

England Lions 382: Will Jacks 84, Ben McKinney 67; Ben Stokes 6-52

England XI: still to bat

The England captain delivered 6 scalps in his first action since July but England encountered an fitness worry about Mark Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up versus the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after almost four months out with a shoulder injury, bowled 16 overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two against the Lions – all to catches taken on the on-side.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee injury, bowled a pre-planned number of eight overs before departing the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will have a scan on Friday.

The Wood situation removed the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

The tourists aimed to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, starting on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the visiting team selected an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell failed to press his case for inclusion in the Test side, making just two runs, but Jacks enhanced his claim to be called upon later in the tour by hitting 84.

Ben McKinney, Cox, 17-year-old Rew and Matthew Potts also made fifties.

England's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been criticized by some former players but the captain responded by labeling the critics "former players".

A relaxed opening day in front of a smattering of spectators at the ground was certainly a world away from what England will face at a sold-out Optus Stadium the following week.

The captain was superb in the contest against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to strain himself to injury. He was absent from the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not completed a full part in any of England's past four series because of various injuries and the tourists' chances of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five Tests in Australia.

He has been practicing at full pace for 60 days and looked in good condition on the match day, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Jacks is not expected to feature in the opening match – England look to have shown their hand with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself in front of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his 84, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the doubt over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the attack for the initial match.

Brydon Carse was absent from the first day because of sickness, with his position going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Though Stokes took the scalps, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the new ball and once more after lunch, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

In the omission of Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 runs at an run rate of more than eight.

Root at least claimed a wicket in the final session when Matt Fisher unexpectedly struck a full toss to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.