Stokes Claims Six Scalps in England Ashes Preparation Match

Practice match, Lilac Hill (first day of 3)

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

England XI: awaiting batting

The England captain delivered six wickets in his return to play after July but England faced an injury concern regarding Mark Wood on the first day of their Test preparation against England Lions in Perth.

The England captain, making his comeback after nearly four months away with a shoulder problem, delivered sixteen overs across three spells for his 6-52 versus the Lions – each to catches taken on the leg side.

Pace bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after nine months out with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

The Wood situation drained the energy out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for 382 on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at the venue.

The tourists aimed to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, starting on November 21st.

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

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

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

The team's decision to play a solitary practice match against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but Stokes responded by calling the critics "former players".

A relaxed opening day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was definitely a world away from what the team will face at a packed Optus Stadium the following week.

The captain was superb in the series against India in the home summer, only to strain himself to injury. He missed the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not completed a full part in any of the team's previous four series because of various injuries and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in the host country.

He has been practicing at full pace for 60 days and appeared in good condition on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Will Jacks is not expected to play in the opening match – England look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven selected here. Still, he may have moved 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 Mark Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

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

Though the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the fresh ball and once more after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was asked to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 at an economy of over eight.

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