Stokes Takes Six Wickets in English Ashes Preparation Match

Practice match, Lilac Hill (day one of 3)

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

National team: still to bat

The England captain delivered 6 scalps in his return to play following July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against England Lions in Western Australia.

The England captain, returning after almost four months out with a shoulder injury, delivered sixteen overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two versus the Lions – each to catches on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, himself returning after 9 months away with a knee injury, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on the following day.

The Wood situation sucked the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an uncontested toss at the venue.

The tourists aimed to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, beginning on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the tourists selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Bashir in the Lions.

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

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

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

A relaxed 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 Optus Stadium the following week.

Stokes was excellent in the contest against India in the home summer, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not managed a complete participation in any of England's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five Tests in Australia.

He has been bowling at full pace for two months and appeared in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Will Jacks is unlikely to feature in the opening match – the team look to have shown their intentions with the eleven named here. Still, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob 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 initial match.

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

Although Stokes took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the new ball and again after lunch, when he discomforted Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was required to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

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