Ben Stokes Secures Six Wickets in England Ashes Preparation Match

Tour game, Perth venue (first day of 3)

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

England XI: still to bat

The England captain achieved 6 scalps in his initial appearance following July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry involving Mark Wood on the first day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Perth.

The England captain, making his comeback after almost four months away with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 against the Lions – each to catches taken on the on-side.

Fast bowler Wood, himself returning after nine months away with a knee problem, delivered a scheduled amount of eight overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will receive scanning on Friday.

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

England aimed to bowl 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 fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Jacks enhanced his claim to be selected during the series by scoring eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Cox, teenage Rew and Potts also made fifties.

England's plan to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain responded by labeling the critics "past players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was definitely a different experience from what England will face at a sold-out Optus Stadium next week.

Stokes 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 last match with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's past four tours because of various injuries and the team's hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five matches in Australia.

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

Jacks is not expected to play in the first Test – England look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven named here. Still, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

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

Carse missed the first day because of sickness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Though the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the fresh ball and once more after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the omission of Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Root was asked to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

Joe Root at least claimed a scalp in the final session when Matt Fisher unexpectedly struck a full delivery to mid-on before Archer bounced out Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.