Ben Stokes Takes Six Wickets in English Test Series Warm-up

Tour match, Perth venue (day one of 3)

Development squad 382: Jacks 84, Ben McKinney 67; Ben Stokes 6-52

National team: still to bat

Ben Stokes produced 6 scalps in his first action following July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Western Australia.

The England captain, making his comeback after approximately four months away with a shoulder injury, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his 6-52 versus England Lions – all to catches on the on-side.

Fast bowler Wood, himself returning after nine months out with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before departing the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on Friday.

Wood's injury sucked the energy out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for 382 on a slow, low surface after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

England wanted to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the initial Test match at the main venue, beginning on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus the captain – and omitted spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his claim for selection in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon later in the tour by hitting eighty-four.

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

England's plan to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some former players but Stokes hit back by labeling the critics "past players".

A relaxed opening day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was definitely a different experience from what the team will encounter at a packed main 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 last match with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's previous four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in Australia.

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

Jacks is unlikely to feature in the first Test – the team look to have shown their intentions with the eleven named here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself ahead of the struggling Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

Prior to the concern over Mark Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the attack for the first Test.

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

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

In the omission of Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was required to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 runs at an run rate of more than eight.

Joe Root at least claimed a scalp in the closing stages when Matt Fisher unexpectedly hit a full toss to the fielder before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.