Stokes Secures 6 Scalps in England Ashes Preparation Match

Tour match, Perth venue (first day of 3)

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

England XI: yet to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his return to play following July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after approximately four months out with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two versus the Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months out with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before leaving the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will have a scan on Friday.

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

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

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus the captain – and left spin bowler Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for selection in the Test side, making just two runs, but Will Jacks boosted his claim to be selected during the series by hitting eighty-four.

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

The team's plan to play a single warm-up game against the Lions has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain responded by labeling the doubters "past players".

A relaxed first day in front of a smattering of fans at the ground was definitely a world away from what the team will encounter at a sold-out main stadium next week.

Stokes was excellent in the contest against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to push himself to injury. He missed the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not managed a complete participation in any of England's previous four tours because of various injuries and the tourists' chances of winning back the series are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been practicing at full pace for 60 days and looked in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Jacks is unlikely to feature in the opening match – England look to have revealed their hand with the XI selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

Prior to 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 opening day because of illness, with his position going to Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney caught behind just after the break.

Although the captain took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the new ball and again after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the omission of Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Root was asked to bowl fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 at an economy of over eight.

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