Ben Stokes Secures Six Scalps in England Test Series Preparation Match

Tour game, Perth venue (day one of three)

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

England XI: awaiting batting

The England captain produced six wickets in his return to play since July but the tourists faced an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up against England Lions in Western Australia.

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

Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months out with a knee problem, bowled a pre-planned number of 8 overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on Friday.

Wood's injury drained the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for 382 on a slow track after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

England aimed to field first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus the captain – and left off-spinner Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his case for selection in the Test team, making just two runs, but Jacks enhanced his credentials to be called upon later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

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

The team's plan to play a single warm-up game against the Lions has been criticized by some former players but the captain hit back by labeling the critics "past players".

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

Stokes was superb in the contest against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He was absent from the final Test with a shoulder tear.

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

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

Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven named here. Still, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Prior to the concern over Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

Brydon Carse was absent from the opening day because of illness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney caught behind just after the break.

Though the captain took the wickets, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the new ball and once more after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Root was required to deliver 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 at an run rate of over eight.

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