Ben Stokes Takes 6 Wickets in England Ashes Preparation Match

Tour match, Perth venue (day one of 3)

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

England XI: awaiting batting

Ben Stokes produced 6 scalps in his initial appearance after July but the tourists faced an fitness worry involving Mark Wood on the first day of their Test preparation versus the development squad in Perth.

Stokes, returning after nearly four months out with a shoulder injury, bowled 16 overs across three spells for his 6-52 versus England Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.

Pace bowler Wood, himself returning after nine months away with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before leaving the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will receive scanning on the following day.

The Wood situation drained the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for 382 on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

The tourists wanted to field first to build bowling fitness before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, starting on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus Stokes – and omitted off-spinner Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell failed to press his case for selection in the Test side, making only two, but Jacks enhanced his claim to be called upon later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

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

England's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain responded by labeling the doubters "former players".

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

Stokes was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's past four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five Tests in the host country.

He has been practicing at maximum speed 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 gifted.

Jacks is not expected to play in the opening match – the team look to have revealed their hand with the XI named here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself in front of the struggling Bethell with his 84, 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 initial match.

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

Though the captain took the wickets, Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the fresh ball and again after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the omission of Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was asked to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 runs at an run rate of over eight.

Root at least took a scalp in the closing stages when Fisher unexpectedly struck a full toss to mid-on before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.