Ben Stokes Secures Six Wickets in England Test Series Warm-up

Practice game, Lilac Hill (first day of three)

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

National team: yet to bat

The England captain delivered 6 scalps in his initial appearance since July but England encountered an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after nearly four months out with a shoulder problem, bowled 16 overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 against England Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months out with a knee injury, delivered a scheduled amount of eight overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will receive scanning on the following day.

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

The tourists aimed to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, beginning on November 21st.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team selected 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 selection in the Test side, making just two runs, but Jacks enhanced his claim to be called upon during the series by swiping 84.

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

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

A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of spectators at Lilac Hill was definitely a world away from what England will face at a sold-out Optus Stadium next week.

The captain was excellent in the contest against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to strain himself to injury. He was absent from the last match with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not completed a full part in any of England's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' chances of regaining the Ashes are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five matches in the host country.

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

Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – the team look to have shown their intentions with the XI named here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself in front of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his 84, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

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

Brydon Carse missed 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.

Although Stokes took the wickets, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the fresh ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood departing, Joe Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an run rate of over eight.

Joe Root at least took a scalp in the closing stages when Matt Fisher somehow hit a full toss to the fielder before Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.