Ben Stokes Takes Six Wickets in England Ashes Preparation Match

Practice game, Perth venue (first day of three)

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

National team: awaiting batting

The England captain achieved six wickets in his initial appearance after July but the tourists faced an injury concern about Mark Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after nearly four months away with a shoulder injury, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his 6-52 against England Lions – all to catches on the on-side.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months out with a knee injury, delivered a scheduled amount of eight overs before departing the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will receive scanning on the following day.

Wood's injury sucked the energy out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for 382 on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

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

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 Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his case for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Jacks boosted his claim to be selected later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

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

England's plan to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been criticized by some former players but Stokes responded by labeling the doubters "former players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a smattering of spectators at Lilac Hill was certainly a world away from what the team will encounter at a packed Optus Stadium the following week.

Stokes was excellent in the series against India in the home summer, only to strain himself to injury. He was absent from the last match with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not completed a full part in any of England's past four tours because of various injuries and the team's hopes of regaining the Ashes are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been practicing at maximum speed for 60 days and looked in fine shape on Wednesday, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Will Jacks is unlikely to feature in the opening match – the team look to have revealed their hand with the eleven named here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself in front of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

Even before the doubt over Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Brydon Carse was absent from the opening day because of sickness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney caught behind just after the break.

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

In the absence of Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was required to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 at an economy of over eight.

Joe Root at least took a wicket in the final session when Matt Fisher somehow struck a full delivery to the fielder before Jofra Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.