Stokes Takes 6 Scalps in England Ashes Preparation Match

Tour match, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

National team: awaiting batting

The England captain produced six wickets in his first action following July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation versus England Lions in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after nearly four months away with a shoulder injury, bowled 16 overs across three spells for his 6-52 versus the Lions – all to catches taken on the on-side.

Fast bowler Wood, himself returning after nine months away with a knee problem, delivered a scheduled amount of eight overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on Friday.

The Wood situation sucked the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for 382 on a slow, low surface after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

England wanted to field first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, starting on November 21st.

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus the captain – and omitted spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his claim for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Jacks boosted his claim to be called upon during the series by hitting eighty-four.

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

England's decision to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some former players but the captain responded by calling the doubters "past players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was certainly a world away from what the team will encounter at a sold-out Optus Stadium the following week.

Stokes 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 shoulder tear.

The skipper has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's past four series because of various injuries and the tourists' chances of winning back the Ashes are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in Australia.

He has been practicing at full pace for two months and looked in good condition on the match day, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were gifted.

Jacks is not expected to feature in the first Test – England look to have revealed their hand with the eleven named here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Prior to the doubt over Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the attack for the initial match.

Brydon Carse missed the opening day because of sickness, with his position going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman Ben McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Though Stokes took the wickets, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the new ball and once more after the interval, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood departing, Joe Root was required to deliver 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 at an run rate of more than eight.

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