Ben Stokes Takes 6 Wickets in English Ashes Preparation Match

Practice match, Perth venue (day one of three)

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

National team: awaiting batting

The England captain achieved six wickets in his first action following July but England faced an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Perth.

Stokes, returning after approximately four months out with a shoulder injury, delivered sixteen overs across three spells for his 6-52 against England Lions – all to catches on the on-side.

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months away with a knee injury, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before departing the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

Wood's injury removed the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for 382 on a sluggish pitch after an uncontested toss at the venue.

England wanted to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, starting on November 21st.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell failed to press his case for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Jacks enhanced his claim to be called upon later in the tour by scoring 84.

Ben McKinney, Jordan Cox, teenage Rew and Potts also made fifties.

The team's decision to play a solitary practice match against the Lions has been criticized 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 spectators at the ground was certainly a world away from what the team will encounter at a packed main stadium the following week.

Stokes was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the home summer, only to strain himself to breaking point. He missed the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of England's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' chances of winning back the Ashes are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five matches in the host country.

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

Will Jacks is unlikely to feature in the first Test – England look to have shown their hand with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself in front of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

Prior to the concern over Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

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

Though Stokes took the wickets, Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and once more after lunch, when he discomforted Jacks.

In the omission of Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was required to bowl fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

Joe Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Matt Fisher unexpectedly struck a full delivery to the fielder before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.