Stokes Claims Six Wickets in English Ashes Warm-up

Practice match, Lilac Hill (first day of 3)

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

National team: awaiting batting

Ben Stokes achieved 6 scalps in his initial appearance following July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry about Mark Wood on the first day of their Test preparation versus England Lions in Western Australia.

Stokes, returning after approximately four months out with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two against England Lions – all to catches taken on the on-side.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months out with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

Wood's injury drained the energy out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

The tourists wanted to bowl first to build bowling fitness before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, beginning on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the tourists selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus the captain – and omitted spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell failed to press his case for selection in the Test team, making only two, but Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected later in the tour by hitting 84.

Ben McKinney, Jordan Cox, 17-year-old Rew and Potts also made fifties.

England's plan to play a solitary warm-up game against the Lions has been questioned 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 fans at Lilac Hill was definitely a different experience from what England will encounter at a sold-out Optus Stadium next week.

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

The captain has not managed a full part in any of the team's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the team's chances of winning back the series 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 appeared in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were gifted.

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the opening match – the team look to have shown their intentions with the eleven named here. Still, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob 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 first Test.

Brydon Carse was absent from the first day because of sickness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

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

In the absence of Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was required to bowl 14 overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 at an economy of over eight.

Joe Root at least claimed a scalp in the final session when Fisher unexpectedly struck a full toss to mid-on before Archer bounced out Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.