Ben Stokes Takes Six Scalps in English Ashes Preparation Match

Practice game, Lilac Hill (first day of three)

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

National team: yet to bat

The England captain produced six wickets in his return to play after July but England faced an fitness worry involving Mark Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Western Australia.

The England captain, returning after almost four months out with a shoulder injury, bowled sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 against the Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months out with a knee injury, bowled 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 the following day.

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

England aimed to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the initial Test match at the main venue, beginning on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and omitted off-spinner Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell didn't strengthen his case for inclusion in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his claim to be selected during the series by scoring eighty-four.

McKinney, Jordan Cox, teenage Rew and Matthew Potts also made fifties.

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 critics "past players".

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

Stokes was excellent in the contest against India in the home summer, only to push himself to breaking point. He was absent from the last match with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not completed a full part in any of England's past four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back the Ashes are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in the host country.

He has been practicing 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 not expected to play in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the XI named here. Still, he may have moved himself in front of the struggling Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the concern over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the attack for the first Test.

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

Though Stokes took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the new ball and once more after the interval, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

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

Joe Root at least took a wicket in the closing stages when Matt Fisher somehow hit a full toss to the fielder before Jofra Archer bounced out Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.