Ben Stokes Secures 6 Wickets in England Test Series Warm-up

Practice match, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

England XI: still to bat

Ben Stokes produced 6 scalps in his first action following July but England faced an injury concern about Mark Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Western Australia.

The England captain, returning after nearly four months away with a shoulder injury, bowled 16 overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two against the Lions – each to catches on the leg side.

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

Wood's injury removed the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for 382 on a slow track after an automatic toss at the venue.

The tourists aimed to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, starting on November 21st.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and omitted off-spinner Bashir in the Lions.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his claim for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected later in the tour by swiping 84.

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

The team's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the Lions has been criticized by some former players but the captain responded 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 world away from what the team will encounter at a packed Optus Stadium the following week.

The captain was excellent in the contest against India in the home summer, only to strain 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 England's past four tours because of various injuries and the team's hopes of winning back the Ashes are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in the host country.

He has been practicing at full pace for 60 days 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 unlikely to play in the opening match – the team look to have shown their intentions with the XI selected here. Still, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Prior to the doubt over Mark Wood, the five fast bowlers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

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

Though Stokes took the wickets, Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the new ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

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

Root at least claimed a scalp in the closing stages when Fisher unexpectedly hit a full toss to the fielder before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.