Ben Stokes Claims 6 Wickets in England Ashes Preparation Match

Tour game, Perth venue (first day of three)

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

England XI: still to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his return to play after July but England faced an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation versus England Lions in Western Australia.

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

Pace bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months out with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

Wood's injury sucked the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for 382 on a sluggish pitch after an uncontested toss at the venue.

England aimed to field first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, starting on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their first-Test plans, the visiting team selected an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and omitted spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

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

McKinney, Jordan Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Potts also made fifties.

The team's decision to play a single warm-up game against the Lions has been questioned by some former players but Stokes responded by labeling the doubters "former players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a smattering of spectators at Lilac Hill was definitely a world away from what England will face at a packed main stadium next week.

The captain was excellent in the contest against the Indian team in the home summer, only to strain himself to breaking point. He was absent from the last match with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not managed a full part in any of England's previous four series because of various injuries and the team's hopes of winning back the series are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five matches in the host country.

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

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the opening match – England look to have shown their hand with the eleven selected here. Still, he may have nudged himself in front of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

Even before the concern over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

Brydon Carse was absent from the first day because of illness, with his position going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman Ben McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Although Stokes took the scalps, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the fresh ball and again after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was required to deliver 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

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