Stokes Claims Six Wickets in England Ashes Warm-up

Practice game, Perth venue (first day of 3)

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

England XI: yet to bat

Ben Stokes delivered 6 scalps in his return to play since July but England encountered an injury concern involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus the development squad in Perth.

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

Fast bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after 9 months out with a knee problem, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will receive scanning on the following day.

The Wood situation removed the intensity out of the day, as the England 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 potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the tourists fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for inclusion in the Test team, making only two, but Will Jacks boosted his claim to be selected during the series by swiping eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Cox, teenage Rew and Matthew Potts also made half-centuries.

England's plan to play a solitary practice match against the Lions has been criticized by some ex-players but the captain responded by calling the doubters "past players".

A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was certainly a different experience from what the team will face at a packed Optus Stadium the following week.

The captain was excellent in the series against India in the home summer, only to strain himself to injury. He missed the last match with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not completed a full part in any of the team's past four tours because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of winning back the Ashes are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five matches in the host country.

He has been bowling at full pace for two months and appeared in fine shape on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the XI named here. Still, he may have nudged himself in front of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the doubt over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the attack for the first Test.

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

Although the captain took the wickets, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the fresh ball and once more after lunch, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Joe Root was asked to bowl 14 overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

Joe Root at least claimed a wicket in the closing stages when Matt Fisher somehow struck a full toss to the fielder before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.