Ben Stokes Claims 6 Wickets in English Ashes Preparation Match

Practice game, Lilac Hill (first day of three)

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

National team: yet to bat

The England captain achieved 6 scalps in his return to play following July but England faced an fitness worry about Mark Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Perth.

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

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months out with a knee problem, delivered a pre-planned number of 8 overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on the following day.

Wood's injury removed the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an uncontested toss at the venue.

The tourists wanted to field first to build bowling fitness before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on November 21st.

In a possible hint 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.

Bethell failed to press his claim for inclusion in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be selected later in the tour by swiping eighty-four.

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

England's plan to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been criticized by some ex-players but Stokes hit back by calling the doubters "past players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a small crowd of spectators at Lilac Hill was certainly a world away from what England will encounter at a sold-out Optus Stadium the following week.

Stokes was superb in the series against India in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He was absent from the last match with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's past four tours because of various injuries and the team's chances of regaining the series are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five matches in the host country.

He has been practicing at full pace for 60 days and looked in good condition on the match day, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Will Jacks is not expected to feature in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their hand with the eleven named here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself in front of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his 84, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Prior to the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Brydon Carse missed the opening day because of illness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Although the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the fresh ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the omission of Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Root was required to bowl 14 overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 runs at an economy of over eight.

Root at least claimed a wicket in the closing stages when Matt Fisher somehow hit a full toss to mid-on before Archer bounced out Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.