Ben Stokes Secures 6 Wickets in England Ashes Preparation Match

Tour game, Perth venue (day one of 3)

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

England XI: awaiting batting

The England captain delivered six wickets in his first action following July but England encountered an fitness worry regarding Mark Wood on the first day of their Test preparation versus England Lions in Perth.

Stokes, making his comeback after almost four months out with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 against the Lions – all to catches on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, himself returning after 9 months away with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will receive scanning on Friday.

The Wood situation removed the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

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

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team selected an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and omitted spin bowler Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for inclusion in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his credentials to be called upon later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

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

The team's decision to play a single practice match against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but Stokes hit back by calling the doubters "past players".

A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of fans at Lilac Hill was definitely a world away from what the team will face at a packed Optus Stadium next week.

Stokes was excellent in the contest against the Indian team in the home summer, only to strain himself to breaking point. He missed the last match with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not managed a full part in any of England's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five Tests in the host country.

He has been bowling at maximum speed for 60 days and looked in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were presented.

Jacks is not expected to play in the first Test – England look to have shown their hand with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself in front of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his 84, which came at almost a run a ball.

Even before the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the attack for the first Test.

Carse was absent from the first day because of sickness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Although the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the fresh ball and once more after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the omission of Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was required to deliver 14 overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 at an run rate of over eight.

Joe Root at least took a wicket in the closing stages when Matt Fisher somehow struck a full toss to the fielder before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.