Ben Stokes Takes 6 Wickets in England Test Series Preparation Match

Practice game, Perth venue (day one of three)

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

England XI: still to bat

Ben Stokes achieved 6 scalps in his return to play after July but England faced an injury concern about fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, returning after almost four months out with a shoulder problem, bowled 16 overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two against England Lions – each to catches taken on the leg side.

Pace bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months away with a knee injury, delivered a pre-planned number of eight overs before departing the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

The Wood situation drained the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at the venue.

The tourists aimed to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the initial Test match at the main venue, beginning on 21 November.

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

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

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

England's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some former players but Stokes responded by calling the doubters "past players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a smattering of fans at Lilac Hill was certainly a different experience from what England will face at a sold-out main stadium the following week.

The captain was excellent in the contest against the Indian team in the home summer, only to push himself to breaking point. He missed the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's past four series because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of regaining the Ashes are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been bowling at maximum speed for 60 days and appeared in fine shape on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

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

Even before the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this match 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 Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had opening batsman McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Although the captain took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the fresh ball and once more after lunch, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the omission of Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was required to deliver 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

Joe Root at least claimed a wicket in the final session when Fisher unexpectedly hit a full delivery to mid-on before Jofra Archer bounced out Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.