Ben Stokes Takes 6 Scalps in England Ashes Preparation Match

Practice game, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

England XI: yet to bat

Ben Stokes achieved 6 scalps in his first action following July but the tourists faced an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Perth.

Stokes, making his comeback after approximately four months away with a shoulder problem, delivered 16 overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 against the Lions – each to catches on the on-side.

Pace bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months away with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will receive scanning on Friday.

The Wood situation sucked the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for 382 on a sluggish pitch after an uncontested toss at the venue.

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

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be selected later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Cox, teenage Rew and Matthew Potts also scored half-centuries.

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

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

The captain was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the home summer, only to strain himself to injury. He was absent from the last match with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of England's previous four series because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of regaining the series are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five matches in the host country.

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

Jacks is unlikely to feature in the opening match – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the XI named here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his 84, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

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

Carse missed the opening day because of illness, with his place going to Tongue. Josh Tongue had opening batsman McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Although the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and once more after lunch, when he discomforted Jacks.

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

Root at least took a wicket in the closing stages when Fisher somehow struck a full toss to the fielder before Archer bounced out Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.