Ben Stokes Claims 6 Scalps in English Ashes Warm-up

Tour game, Perth venue (first day of three)

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

National team: still to bat

Ben Stokes delivered six wickets in his return to play following July but England encountered an fitness worry regarding Mark Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus the development squad in Perth.

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

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

The Wood situation sucked the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were dismissed for three hundred eighty-two on a sluggish pitch after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

England aimed to field first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Bashir in the Lions.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for inclusion in the Test side, making only two, but Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

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

England's plan to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain responded by labeling the doubters "former players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of spectators at the ground was definitely a different experience from what the team will encounter at a packed main stadium next week.

The captain was excellent in the contest against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the last match with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of England's previous four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' chances of regaining the Ashes are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been bowling at maximum speed for two months and looked in good condition on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were gifted.

Jacks is not expected to feature in the first Test – the team look to have shown their hand with the XI named here. Still, he may have moved himself ahead of the struggling Bethell with his eighty-four, 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 initial match.

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

Though 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 absence of Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Joe Root was required to deliver fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, costing 117 at an economy of over eight.

Root at least claimed a scalp in the closing stages when Matt Fisher unexpectedly struck a full toss to mid-on before Jofra Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.