Stokes Secures 6 Scalps in England Test Series Preparation Match

Practice match, Perth venue (day one of three)

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

National team: still to bat

Ben Stokes delivered 6 scalps in his first action following July but England encountered an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up against England Lions in Perth.

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

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

The Wood situation sucked the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were dismissed for 382 on a sluggish pitch after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

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

In a possible hint towards their first-Test plans, the tourists fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and omitted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell failed to press his case for selection in the Test side, making only two, but Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon later in the tour by hitting 84.

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

The team's decision to play a single practice match against the Lions has been criticized by some ex-players but the captain responded by calling the doubters "former players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a smattering of fans at the ground was definitely a different experience from what England will encounter at a packed main stadium next week.

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

The skipper has not completed a full part in any of England's previous four series because of various injuries and the team's chances of regaining the series are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five Tests in Australia.

He has been practicing at full pace for 60 days and looked in good condition on the match day, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were gifted.

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the opening match – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven selected here. Still, he may have moved himself in front of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Prior to the doubt over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

Brydon Carse was absent from the first day because of sickness, with his place going to Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Though the captain took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the fresh ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Jacks.

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

Joe Root at least took a scalp in the closing stages when Matt Fisher somehow struck a full delivery to the fielder before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.