Stokes Takes 6 Wickets in England Ashes Preparation Match

Practice game, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

National team: still to bat

Ben Stokes produced 6 scalps in his return to play following July but England encountered an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Western Australia.

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

Fast bowler Wood, himself returning after nine months out with a knee injury, delivered a pre-planned number of eight overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will have a scan on the following day.

The Wood situation sucked the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an automatic toss at the venue.

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

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

Jacob Bethell failed to press his claim for inclusion in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his claim to be selected during the series by hitting eighty-four.

McKinney, Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Matthew Potts also scored fifties.

England's plan to play a single warm-up game against the Lions has been criticized by some former players but Stokes responded by calling the doubters "past players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a smattering of fans at the ground was certainly a world away from what England will encounter at a sold-out main stadium the following week.

The captain was superb 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 skipper has not managed a complete participation in any of England's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the team's chances of regaining the Ashes are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been practicing at full pace for 60 days and appeared in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were presented.

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the opening match – the team look to have shown their hand with the eleven named here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself in front of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

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.

Brydon Carse was absent from the opening day because of sickness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney caught behind just after the break.

Although the captain took the wickets, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and once more after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

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

Root at least took a wicket in the closing stages when Fisher somehow struck a full toss to the fielder before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.