Stokes Secures Six Wickets in English Ashes Preparation Match

Practice match, Perth venue (first day of three)

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

England XI: yet to bat

Ben Stokes produced 6 scalps in his return to play following July but the tourists encountered an injury concern involving fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Perth.

Stokes, making his comeback after nearly four months out with a shoulder problem, bowled 16 overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 against the Lions – all to catches on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months out with a knee injury, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before departing the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will receive scanning on Friday.

The Wood situation drained the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were dismissed for three hundred eighty-two on a sluggish pitch after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

England aimed to field first to build bowling fitness before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on November 21st.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the visiting team selected an all-pace attack – four specialists plus the captain – and omitted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his case for selection in the Test side, making just two runs, but Jacks boosted his claim to be selected later in the tour by swiping 84.

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

The team's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some former players but the captain hit back by calling the critics "past players".

A relaxed opening day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was certainly a world away from what the team will encounter at a sold-out Optus Stadium the following 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 final Test with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's past four tours because of various injuries and the team's chances of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been bowling at full pace for 60 days and appeared in fine shape on Wednesday, 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 intentions with the XI selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his 84, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the doubt over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

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

Though Stokes took the scalps, Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the fresh ball and again after the interval, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

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

Joe Root at least took a wicket in the closing stages when Matt Fisher unexpectedly hit a full toss to the fielder before Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.