Ben Stokes Secures 6 Wickets in England Ashes Preparation Match

Tour game, Lilac Hill (first day of 3)

England Lions 382: Will Jacks 84, Ben McKinney 67; Ben Stokes 6-52

National team: yet to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his initial appearance since July but the tourists faced an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against England Lions in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after nearly four months out with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 versus the Lions – each to catches taken on the on-side.

Pace bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback 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 receive scanning on Friday.

The Wood situation sucked the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for 382 on a sluggish pitch after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

England wanted to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the tourists selected an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for selection in the Test side, making just two runs, but Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected during the series by swiping 84.

Ben McKinney, Cox, 17-year-old Rew and Potts also made half-centuries.

The team's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been criticized by some former players but the captain hit back by labeling the doubters "past players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a small crowd of spectators at the ground was definitely a world away from what the team will encounter at a sold-out Optus Stadium next week.

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

The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's previous four series because of various injuries and the tourists' chances 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 maximum speed for 60 days and looked in good condition on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Will Jacks is not expected to play in the first Test – England look to have shown 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.

Prior to the concern over Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Carse missed the first day because of illness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Although the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the fresh ball and once more after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Root was asked to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 at an run rate of over eight.

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