Ben Stokes Takes 6 Scalps in England Test Series Preparation Match

Practice game, Lilac Hill (first day of 3)

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

England XI: still to bat

Ben Stokes produced six wickets in his initial appearance after July but England faced an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Western Australia.

Stokes, returning after approximately four months away with a shoulder injury, bowled 16 overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 against the Lions – each to catches on the leg side.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months away with a knee injury, delivered a pre-planned number of eight overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will have a scan on Friday.

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 automatic toss at the venue.

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

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell failed to press his claim for inclusion in the Test side, making just two runs, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

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

The team's plan to play a solitary practice match against the development squad has been criticized by some former players but Stokes hit back by labeling the critics "former players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a smattering of fans at the ground was definitely a different experience from what the team will encounter at a sold-out Optus Stadium the following week.

The captain was superb in the series against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He was absent from the last match with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not completed a full part in any of England's past four series because of various injuries and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five matches in Australia.

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

Jacks is not expected to feature in the opening match – England look to have shown their hand with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself in front of the struggling Bethell with his eighty-four, 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 initial match.

Carse missed the first day because of sickness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman Ben McKinney caught behind just after the break.

Although Stokes took the scalps, 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 omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Root was required to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

Root at least claimed a scalp in the final session when Fisher unexpectedly struck a full toss to mid-on before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.