Stokes Takes 6 Wickets in England Ashes Warm-up

Tour match, Perth venue (first day of three)

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

National team: yet to bat

The England captain delivered 6 scalps in his return to play since July but the tourists encountered an injury concern involving fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up against England Lions in Western Australia.

Stokes, returning after nearly four months out with a shoulder injury, bowled sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 against England Lions – each to catches on the on-side.

Pace bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee problem, bowled a pre-planned number of 8 overs before departing the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

Wood's injury sucked the energy out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a sluggish pitch after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

England wanted to field first to get overs in their legs before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, beginning on November 21st.

In a possible hint towards their first-Test plans, the visiting team selected an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and omitted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his claim for selection in the Test side, making only two, but Jacks enhanced his claim to be selected during the series by scoring 84.

Ben McKinney, Cox, 17-year-old Thomas Rew and Matthew Potts also scored fifties.

The team's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but Stokes hit back by calling the critics "former players".

A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of spectators at Lilac Hill was certainly a different experience from what England will face at a sold-out main stadium next week.

The captain was excellent in the contest against India in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He missed the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of England's past four tours because of various injuries and the tourists' chances of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five matches in the host country.

He has been practicing at maximum speed for two months and appeared in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their hand with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

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

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

Though Stokes took the wickets, Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the fresh ball and once more after lunch, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the omission of Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Joe Root was asked to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 at an economy of more than eight.

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