Ben Stokes Secures Six Wickets in English Ashes Warm-up

Practice match, Lilac Hill (first day of three)

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

England XI: yet to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his first action after July but England faced an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against England Lions in Western Australia.

Stokes, returning after almost four months out with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 versus the Lions – all to catches on the on-side.

Pace bowler Wood, himself returning after nine months away with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before departing the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on Friday.

The Wood situation sucked the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

England aimed 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 visiting team fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and omitted spin bowler Bashir in the Lions.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for selection in the Test side, making only two, but Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon during the series by hitting eighty-four.

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

England's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the Lions has been criticized by some ex-players but Stokes responded by calling the doubters "former players".

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

The captain was superb in the contest against India in the domestic season, only to strain himself to injury. He missed the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not managed a full part in any of the team's past four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five Tests in Australia.

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

Jacks is not expected to feature in the first Test – England look to have shown their hand with the XI selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself in front of the out-of-sorts Jacob 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 England XI for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

Carse missed the first day because of sickness, with his position going to 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 again after lunch, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Root was asked to deliver 14 overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an run rate of more than eight.

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