Ben Stokes Claims 6 Scalps in English Ashes Preparation Match

Practice match, Perth venue (first day of three)

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

National team: still to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his first action after July but England faced an injury concern about Mark Wood on the first day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Western Australia.

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

Pace bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after nine months out with a knee problem, delivered a pre-planned number of eight overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

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

The tourists wanted to bowl first to build bowling fitness before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, starting on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team selected an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for selection in the Test team, making only two, but Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon during the series by hitting 84.

McKinney, Cox, 17-year-old Rew and Matthew Potts also made half-centuries.

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

A relaxed opening day in front of a small crowd of fans at Lilac Hill was certainly a different experience from what England will face at a packed Optus Stadium the following week.

The captain was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the home summer, only to strain himself to breaking point. He was absent from the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not managed a full part in any of England's past four series because of various injuries and the team's hopes of regaining the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in the host country.

He has been bowling at full pace 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 dismissals were presented.

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

Prior to the concern over Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this match may not have been the attack for the first Test.

Brydon Carse missed the opening day because of illness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

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

In the omission of Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Root was required to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an run rate of over eight.

Root at least claimed a scalp in the final session when Matt Fisher somehow struck a full toss to the fielder before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.