Ben Stokes Claims Six Scalps in English Ashes Warm-up

Practice game, Lilac Hill (first day of 3)

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

England XI: awaiting batting

Ben Stokes delivered 6 scalps in his return to play after July but England faced an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Test preparation versus the development squad in Western Australia.

The England captain, returning after approximately four months out with a shoulder problem, bowled 16 overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 against England Lions – all to catches on the leg side.

Pace bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after nine months out with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before departing the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will receive scanning on Friday.

Wood's injury sucked the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a sluggish pitch after an automatic toss at the venue.

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

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell didn't strengthen his case for selection in the Test team, making only two, but Jacks boosted his credentials to be selected later in the tour by swiping eighty-four.

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

The team's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some former players but the captain hit back by labeling the doubters "former players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was definitely a different experience from what the team will face at a packed Optus Stadium the following week.

Stokes was excellent in the series against India in the home summer, only to push himself to breaking point. He was absent from the last match with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's previous four tours because of various injuries and the tourists' chances of winning back the series are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five Tests in the host country.

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

Will Jacks is not expected to play in the first Test – England look to have shown their intentions with the eleven named here. Still, 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.

Even before the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this game may not have been the attack for the first Test.

Carse was absent from the first day because of sickness, with his place going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Although Stokes took the wickets, Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the new ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was asked to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 runs at an economy of over eight.

Joe Root at least claimed a wicket in the closing stages when Matt Fisher unexpectedly struck a full delivery to mid-on before Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.