Stokes Secures Six Wickets in England Test Series Warm-up

Practice match, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

England XI: awaiting batting

Ben Stokes achieved 6 scalps in his return to play since July but England faced an injury concern about Mark Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Perth.

The England captain, returning after nearly four months away with a shoulder problem, bowled 16 overs across three spells for his 6-52 against England Lions – each to catches taken on the on-side.

Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months away with a knee injury, bowled a pre-planned number of eight overs before leaving the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on Friday.

Wood's injury drained the energy out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for 382 on a sluggish pitch after an automatic toss at the venue.

The tourists wanted to field first to accumulate bowling time before the initial Test match at the main venue, beginning on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and omitted off-spinner Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for selection in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks boosted his claim to be called upon during the series by scoring eighty-four.

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

The team's plan to play a single practice match against the development squad has been questioned by some former players but Stokes responded by calling the doubters "has-beens".

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

The captain was superb in the series against India in the domestic season, only to strain himself to injury. He missed the last match with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not completed a full part in any of England's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the team's chances of regaining the Ashes are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been bowling at maximum speed for two months and appeared in good condition on the match day, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Will Jacks is not expected to feature in the opening match – the team look to have revealed their hand with the XI selected here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself in front of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his 84, which came at almost a run a ball.

Even before the doubt over Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Brydon Carse missed the first day because of sickness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney caught behind just after the break.

Although Stokes took the scalps, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the new ball and once more after lunch, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Joe Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 runs at an run rate of over eight.

Joe Root at least claimed a wicket in the final session when Fisher somehow struck a full delivery to mid-on before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.