Stokes Takes 6 Wickets in English Test Series Preparation Match

Tour match, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

National team: yet to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his initial appearance following July but England faced an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus the development squad in Western Australia.

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

Fast bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after nine months away with a knee injury, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will receive scanning on Friday.

Wood's injury drained the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a sluggish pitch 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, starting on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists selected an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and omitted spin bowler Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his case for inclusion in the Test side, making only two, 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 made half-centuries.

The team's decision to play a solitary practice match against the Lions has been questioned by some ex-players but Stokes hit back by labeling the doubters "former players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a smattering of fans at Lilac Hill was definitely a different experience from what England 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 strain himself to breaking point. He was absent from the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not managed a full part in any of the team's past four series because of various injuries and the team's chances of regaining the Ashes are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five Tests in Australia.

He has been practicing at maximum speed for two months and appeared in fine shape on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Will Jacks is not expected to feature in the first Test – England look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself in front of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the concern over Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

Carse missed the opening day because of illness, with his position going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman Ben McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Though Stokes took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the new ball and again after lunch, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Joe Root was asked to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an run rate of more than eight.

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