Ben Stokes Takes 6 Scalps in English Ashes Warm-up

Practice match, Perth venue (first day of three)

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

England XI: yet to bat

The England captain delivered 6 scalps in his return to play after July but England faced an fitness worry regarding Mark Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus the development squad in Western Australia.

The England captain, making his comeback after almost four months away with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two versus the Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, himself returning after nine months away with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on the following day.

Wood's injury removed the energy out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

The tourists wanted to field first to get overs in their legs before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, starting on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and left spin bowler Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell failed to press his case for inclusion in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his claim to be selected later in the tour by scoring 84.

Ben McKinney, Jordan Cox, 17-year-old Thomas Rew and Matthew Potts also made fifties.

England's plan to play a single practice match against the development squad has been questioned by some former players but Stokes hit back by calling the doubters "past players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of fans at Lilac Hill was certainly a different experience from what the team will face at a sold-out Optus Stadium the following week.

Stokes was excellent in the contest against India in the domestic season, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's past four tours because of various injuries and the tourists' chances of regaining the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five matches in the host country.

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

Will Jacks is unlikely to feature in the first Test – the team look to have shown their hand with the eleven named here. Still, he may have moved himself ahead of the out-of-sorts 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 England XI for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Brydon Carse missed the opening day because of illness, with his position going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Though the captain took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the new ball and once more after lunch, when he discomforted Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was required to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 at an economy of over eight.

Root at least claimed a wicket in the closing stages when Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to mid-on before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.