Ben Stokes Secures Six Wickets in England Test Series Warm-up

Tour match, Perth venue (first day of three)

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

England XI: awaiting batting

Ben Stokes delivered six wickets in his return to play after July but England encountered an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Perth.

The England captain, returning after nearly four months out with a shoulder injury, bowled 16 overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two against the Lions – all to catches on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, himself returning after 9 months away 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 the following day.

Wood's injury removed the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a sluggish pitch after an automatic toss at the venue.

England wanted to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, beginning on November 21st.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the tourists fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell failed to press his claim for selection in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his claim to be called upon during the series by swiping eighty-four.

McKinney, Cox, teenage Rew and Matthew Potts also made fifties.

The team's plan to play a single practice match against the development squad has been criticized by some ex-players but Stokes hit back by calling the critics "has-beens".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a small crowd of spectators at Lilac Hill was definitely a world away from what the team will face at a packed main stadium next week.

The captain was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the home summer, only to strain himself to breaking point. He missed the last match with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not completed a full part in any of England's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of winning back the Ashes are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five matches in the host country.

He has been practicing at maximum speed for 60 days and appeared in good condition on the match day, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – England look to have revealed their hand with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

Carse missed the opening day because of sickness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman Ben McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Although the captain took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the new ball and again after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 runs at an run rate of over eight.

Root at least claimed a wicket in the final session 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.