Stokes Takes 6 Scalps in England Test Series Warm-up

Tour match, Perth venue (first day of three)

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

National team: yet to bat

The England captain delivered six wickets in his first action following July but the tourists encountered an injury concern involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up against England Lions in Western Australia.

Stokes, returning after nearly four months out with a shoulder injury, delivered sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 versus the Lions – all to catches taken on the on-side.

Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee problem, bowled 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 Friday.

The Wood situation removed the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

England aimed to field first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, starting on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their first-Test plans, the tourists selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and omitted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for inclusion in the Test team, making only two, but Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected later in the tour by hitting eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Cox, teenage Rew and Potts also scored half-centuries.

England's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but Stokes responded by calling the critics "past players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a smattering of spectators at the ground was certainly a world away from what the team will face at a packed Optus Stadium next week.

Stokes was excellent in the contest against India in the domestic season, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the last match with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of England's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of winning back the Ashes are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five matches in the host country.

He has been practicing at full pace for two months and appeared in fine shape on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his dismissals were presented.

Jacks is not expected to feature in the opening match – England look to have revealed their intentions with the XI selected here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself ahead of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this match may not have been the attack for the first Test.

Brydon Carse was absent from the opening day because of illness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had opening batsman McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Although Stokes took the wickets, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and once more after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Root was required to deliver fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 runs at an run rate of more than eight.

Root at least claimed a wicket in the final session when Fisher somehow struck a full toss to the fielder before Archer bounced out Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.