Stokes Claims 6 Wickets in England Ashes Warm-up

Practice match, Lilac Hill (first day of 3)

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

National team: yet to bat

Ben Stokes delivered 6 scalps in his first action since July but England encountered an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Test preparation versus England Lions in Perth.

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

Pace bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after nine months out with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before departing the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will receive scanning on the following day.

The Wood situation drained the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an uncontested toss at the venue.

The tourists aimed to field first to build bowling fitness before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, starting on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and omitted spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his case for inclusion in the Test side, making just two runs, but Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected later in the tour by swiping eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Matthew Potts also scored half-centuries.

The team's decision to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain hit back by calling the critics "former players".

A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was certainly a different experience from what England will face at a sold-out Optus Stadium the following week.

Stokes was excellent in the contest against India in the domestic season, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not completed a full part in any of the team's past four series because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of winning back the Ashes are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been practicing at maximum speed for 60 days and looked in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were presented.

Jacks is unlikely to feature in the opening match – England look to have revealed their hand with the eleven named here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

Prior to the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this game may not have been the attack for the initial match.

Brydon Carse missed the opening day because of illness, with his place going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Although the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the new ball and again after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the omission of Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was asked to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 runs at an economy of over eight.

Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Matt Fisher somehow hit a full toss to mid-on before Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.