Stokes Secures 6 Wickets in English Ashes Preparation Match

Tour game, Perth venue (day one of 3)

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

England XI: still to bat

Ben Stokes delivered 6 scalps in his return to play since July but the tourists faced an injury concern regarding Mark Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Perth.

Stokes, returning after approximately four months away with a shoulder injury, delivered sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two against the Lions – each to catches on the leg side.

Pace bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after 9 months away with a knee injury, delivered a pre-planned number of eight overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on Friday.

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

England wanted to field first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, beginning on November 21st.

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

Bethell failed to press his claim for selection in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks boosted his claim to be selected during the series by scoring 84.

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

England's plan to play a single warm-up game against the Lions has been criticized by some ex-players but the captain hit back by labeling the critics "has-beens".

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

The captain was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the home summer, only to push himself to injury. He missed the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of England's past four series because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in Australia.

He has been bowling at maximum speed 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 presented.

Will Jacks is unlikely to feature 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 84, 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 first Test.

Brydon Carse missed the first day because of illness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney caught behind just after the break.

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

In the absence of Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, costing 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

Joe Root at least claimed a wicket in the final session when Matt Fisher somehow struck a full toss to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.