Stokes Claims Six Wickets in England Test Series Preparation Match

Practice game, Lilac Hill (day one of 3)

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

National team: still to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his return to play after July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry about Mark Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up versus the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after almost four months away with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his 6-52 against the Lions – each to catches on the on-side.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee injury, delivered a pre-planned number of 8 overs before departing the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

The Wood situation drained 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.

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

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

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

McKinney, Jordan Cox, 17-year-old Rew and Potts also scored half-centuries.

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

A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was definitely a world away from what the team will encounter 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 missed the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not managed a full part in any of England's previous four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' chances of regaining the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in Australia.

He has been bowling at maximum speed for 60 days and appeared in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Jacks is unlikely to feature in the first Test – England look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven named here. Still, 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 doubt over Mark Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Brydon Carse missed the opening day because of sickness, with his place going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Although the captain took the scalps, Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the new ball and once more after lunch, when he discomforted Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Root was asked to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 at an economy of more than eight.

Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Matt Fisher unexpectedly hit a full delivery to mid-on before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.