Stokes Claims 6 Scalps in English Ashes Preparation Match

Tour match, Perth venue (first day of three)

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

National team: still to bat

The England captain produced six wickets in his return to play after July but the tourists faced an injury concern regarding Mark Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after almost four months out with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his 6-52 against England Lions – each to catches taken on the on-side.

Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months out with a knee injury, bowled a pre-planned number of eight overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on Friday.

Wood's injury 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 Lilac Hill.

The tourists wanted to field first to accumulate bowling time before the initial Test match at the main venue, beginning on November 21st.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the visiting team selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus the captain – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for selection in the Test team, making just two runs, but Jacks boosted his claim to be called upon during the series by scoring 84.

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

England's decision to play a single warm-up game 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 the team will encounter at a sold-out main stadium the following week.

The captain was superb in the contest against India in the home summer, only to strain himself to breaking point. He missed the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not completed a full part in any of England's past four series because of various injuries and the team's chances of regaining the Ashes are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been bowling at maximum speed for 60 days and appeared in fine shape on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were presented.

Jacks is not expected to feature in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven named here. Still, he may have nudged himself in front of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his 84, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Prior to the doubt over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

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

Though the captain took the wickets, Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood departing, Joe Root was asked to deliver 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 at an economy of more than eight.

Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Matt Fisher somehow struck a full delivery to the fielder before Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.