Stokes Claims Six Wickets in England Ashes Preparation Match

Practice game, Lilac Hill (first day of 3)

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

England XI: still to bat

Ben Stokes produced 6 scalps in his initial appearance after July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Western Australia.

The England captain, returning after almost four months out with a shoulder problem, bowled 16 overs across three spells for his 6-52 against England Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.

Pace bowler Wood, himself returning 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 issue. He will have a scan on the following day.

Wood's injury removed the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at the venue.

England aimed to field first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their first-Test plans, the tourists fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for selection in the Test team, making only two, but Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected during the series by scoring eighty-four.

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

England's decision to play a single warm-up game against the Lions has been criticized by some former players but the captain responded by calling the critics "has-beens".

A low-pressure first day in front of a smattering of spectators at the ground was definitely a different experience from what the team will face at a sold-out main stadium the following week.

The captain was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the home summer, only to strain himself to breaking point. He was absent from the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of England's past four series because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of regaining the Ashes are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five matches in the host country.

He has been practicing at maximum speed for two months and looked in fine shape on the match day, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were gifted.

Jacks is not expected to feature in the first Test – the team look to have shown their intentions with the XI named here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself ahead of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

Even before the doubt over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Brydon Carse was absent from the opening day because of sickness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman McKinney caught behind just after the break.

Though Stokes took the wickets, 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 Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was required to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 runs at an economy of over eight.

Root at least claimed a scalp in the closing stages when Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to mid-on before Jofra Archer bounced out Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.