Ben Stokes Secures Six Wickets in English Test Series Preparation Match

Practice match, Lilac Hill (first day of three)

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

National team: awaiting batting

The England captain delivered six wickets in his initial appearance after July but England faced an injury concern regarding fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after nearly four months out with a shoulder injury, bowled sixteen overs across three bowling 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 9 months away with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before leaving the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will receive scanning on the following day.

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

England aimed to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the initial Test match at the main venue, 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 omitted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his claim for selection in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Cox, 17-year-old Rew and Potts also scored fifties.

England's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the Lions has been criticized by some ex-players but Stokes hit back by calling the critics "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.

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

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's past four series because of various injuries and the team's chances of winning back the Ashes are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in the host country.

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

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the XI selected here. Still, he may have moved himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

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

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 lunch.

Though Stokes took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the new ball and once more after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was asked to bowl fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

Joe Root at least claimed a scalp in the final session when Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to the fielder before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.