Stokes Secures 6 Scalps in English Test Series Preparation Match

Tour match, Perth venue (day one of three)

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

National team: yet to bat

Ben Stokes achieved 6 scalps in his first action since July but England encountered an injury concern involving Mark Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Western Australia.

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

Pace bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after 9 months away with a knee injury, delivered a scheduled amount of eight overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

Wood's injury removed the energy 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.

England wanted to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, beginning on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and omitted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks enhanced his claim to be selected later in the tour by scoring 84.

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

England's plan to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain responded by calling the critics "has-beens".

A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of fans at Lilac Hill was definitely a world away from what England will face at a sold-out main stadium the following week.

The captain was superb 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 completed a complete participation in any of England's past four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five Tests 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 believe the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Will Jacks is not expected to feature in the opening match – England look to have shown their intentions with the eleven named here. Still, he may have nudged himself in front of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

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

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

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

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was required to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an economy of over eight.

Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Fisher somehow struck a full toss to mid-on before Jofra Archer bounced out Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.