Ben Stokes Takes 6 Scalps in England Ashes Preparation Match

Practice game, Perth venue (day one of 3)

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

England XI: awaiting batting

The England captain achieved 6 scalps in his return to play since July but the tourists faced an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after nearly four months out with a shoulder injury, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two versus the Lions – all to catches on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months away with a knee problem, delivered a pre-planned number of 8 overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will receive scanning on the following day.

Wood's injury drained 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.

The tourists aimed to field first to accumulate bowling time 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 omitted off-spinner Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his case for selection in the Test side, making just two runs, but Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

McKinney, Jordan Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Potts also made half-centuries.

The team's decision to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain responded by calling the doubters "past players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a smattering of spectators at the ground was certainly a different experience from what England will face at a sold-out main stadium the following week.

Stokes was excellent in the series against India in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He missed the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not managed a complete participation in any of England's past four series because of various injuries and the team's hopes of regaining the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been practicing at maximum speed for two months and looked in fine shape 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 first Test – England look to have shown their hand with the XI selected here. Still, he may have moved himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his 84, which came at almost a run a ball.

Prior to the doubt over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the England XI for this game may not have been the attack for the first Test.

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

Though the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the fresh ball and again after lunch, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Root was asked 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 claimed a scalp in the final session when Matt Fisher somehow hit a full toss to the fielder before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.