Ben Stokes Claims Six Wickets in English Test Series Warm-up

Practice match, Perth venue (day one of 3)

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

England XI: still to bat

Ben Stokes achieved 6 scalps in his initial appearance after July but England faced an fitness worry involving Mark Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Western Australia.

The England captain, making his comeback after approximately four months away with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his 6-52 against the Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, himself returning after 9 months away with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before leaving the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will receive scanning on Friday.

Wood's injury removed the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for 382 on a slow track after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

England aimed to field first to accumulate bowling time before the initial Test match at the main venue, starting 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 omitted spin bowler Bashir in the Lions.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his claim for selection in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be selected during the series by scoring eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Potts also made fifties.

The team's plan to play a single practice match against the development squad has been criticized by some former players but the captain responded by labeling the doubters "has-beens".

A relaxed opening day in front of a small crowd of spectators at the ground was certainly a different experience from what England will face at a packed main stadium the following week.

The captain was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to strain himself to injury. He missed the last match with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not completed a full part in any of England's past four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' chances of winning back the Ashes are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five matches in the host country.

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

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the opening match – the team look to have revealed their hand with the XI selected here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself ahead of the struggling 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 match may not have been the attack for the first Test.

Carse was absent from the opening day because of sickness, with his place going to Tongue. Josh Tongue had opening batsman McKinney caught behind just after the break.

Though the captain took the wickets, Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the new ball and once more after lunch, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Root was required to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, costing 117 runs at an run rate of more than eight.

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