Ben Stokes Takes 6 Scalps in English Test Series Warm-up

Practice game, Perth venue (first day of 3)

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

England XI: yet to bat

The England captain produced six wickets in his first action following July but England faced an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Western Australia.

The England captain, returning after approximately four months out with a shoulder problem, delivered sixteen overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two against the Lions – each to catches on the on-side.

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee problem, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on the following day.

The Wood situation sucked the energy out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an automatic toss at the venue.

England wanted to field first to build bowling fitness before the initial Test match at the main venue, beginning on 21 November.

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

Bethell failed to press his case for selection in the Test side, making just two runs, but Will Jacks enhanced his claim to be selected later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

McKinney, Cox, teenage Rew and Matthew Potts also scored fifties.

England's plan to play a single practice match against the Lions has been criticized by some former players but the captain responded by calling the doubters "has-beens".

A low-pressure first day in front of a smattering of spectators at Lilac Hill was certainly a world away from what England will encounter at a sold-out main stadium next week.

Stokes was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the home summer, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's previous four series because of different fitness issues and the team's chances of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in Australia.

He has been bowling at full pace for 60 days and looked in fine shape on Wednesday, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were gifted.

Will Jacks is not expected to feature in the first Test – the team look to have shown their hand with the eleven selected here. Still, he may have moved himself in front of the struggling Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the doubt over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the attack for the initial match.

Brydon Carse was absent from the first day because of illness, with his place going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Although the captain took the wickets, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the fresh ball and again after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, conceding 117 at an run rate of over eight.

Root at least claimed a wicket in the closing stages when Fisher unexpectedly struck a full delivery to mid-on before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.