Ben Stokes Takes Six Wickets in England Ashes Warm-up

Tour game, Perth venue (first day of 3)

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

England XI: still to bat

The England captain achieved six wickets in his initial appearance after July but England faced an fitness worry involving Mark Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against England Lions in Perth.

Stokes, returning after almost four months out with a shoulder problem, delivered sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two versus the Lions – all to catches on the leg side.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after 9 months away with a knee injury, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on Friday.

The Wood situation sucked the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for 382 on a slow track 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, beginning on November 21st.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and omitted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell failed to press his case for inclusion in the Test team, making only two, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon later in the tour by scoring 84.

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

England's decision to play a solitary practice match against the Lions has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain responded by labeling the doubters "past players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was definitely a world away from what England will face at a sold-out Optus Stadium the following week.

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

The captain has not managed a full part in any of England's past four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five Tests in Australia.

He has been bowling at full pace for two months and looked in fine shape on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his dismissals were presented.

Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his 84, which came at almost a run a ball.

Prior to the doubt over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup 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 opening batsman McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Though Stokes took the wickets, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the fresh ball and once more after lunch, when he caused problems for Jacks.

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

Root at least claimed a wicket in the closing stages when Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to the fielder before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.