Stokes Secures 6 Wickets in English Test Series Warm-up

Tour match, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

National team: awaiting batting

Ben Stokes achieved 6 scalps in his first action following July but the tourists faced an injury concern regarding Mark Wood on the first day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Western Australia.

The England captain, making his comeback after almost four months away with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 overs across three spells for his 6-52 against England Lions – all to catches taken on the on-side.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after nine 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 issue. He will receive scanning on the following day.

The Wood situation sucked the energy out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

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

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the visiting team selected an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell didn't strengthen his case for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Jacks boosted his claim to be selected during the series by hitting 84.

Ben McKinney, Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Potts also scored fifties.

England's plan to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some former players but Stokes hit back by labeling the doubters "past players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a smattering of fans at Lilac Hill was certainly a different experience from what the team will encounter at a sold-out main stadium next week.

The captain was superb in the series against the Indian team in the home summer, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not managed a full part in any of the team's past four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back the Ashes are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been practicing at maximum speed for two months and looked in good condition on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Will Jacks is unlikely to feature in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their hand with the XI selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Prior to the concern over Mark Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the attack for the first Test.

Brydon Carse missed the opening day because of sickness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Though Stokes took the wickets, Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the fresh ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

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

Root at least took a wicket in the final session when Matt Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to the fielder before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.