Stokes Secures Six Wickets in England Test Series Preparation Match

Tour game, Lilac Hill (first day of 3)

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

National team: still to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his first action since July but England faced an injury concern involving Mark Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against England Lions in Western Australia.

The England captain, returning after almost four months away with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 versus the Lions – each to catches on the on-side.

Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months away with a knee injury, delivered a pre-planned number of eight overs before leaving the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on Friday.

Wood's injury drained the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

England aimed to field first to build bowling fitness before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, starting on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and omitted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his case for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon during the series by hitting eighty-four.

McKinney, Jordan Cox, teenage Rew and Matthew Potts also scored fifties.

England's decision to play a single practice match against the development squad has been criticized by some former players but Stokes responded by calling the critics "former players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was certainly a different experience from what the team will encounter at a packed main stadium next week.

Stokes was superb in the series against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to strain himself to injury. He missed the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of regaining the Ashes are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in Australia.

He has been practicing at full pace for two months and appeared in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were presented.

Will Jacks is unlikely to feature in the opening match – the team look to have shown their intentions with the XI named here. Still, he may have nudged himself ahead of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

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

Brydon Carse was absent from the opening day because of sickness, with his position going to Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Though the captain took the wickets, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the fresh ball and again after the interval, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

Joe Root at least took a scalp in the closing stages when Matt Fisher somehow struck a full delivery to mid-on before Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.