Stokes Takes Six Wickets in English Test Series Preparation Match

Tour match, Perth venue (day one of three)

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

National team: yet to bat

Ben Stokes produced six wickets in his return to play after July but the tourists faced an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Test preparation against England Lions in Western Australia.

The England captain, returning after nearly four months out with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two against the Lions – each to catches taken on the on-side.

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months out with a knee problem, bowled a pre-planned number of eight overs before leaving the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will have a scan on Friday.

Wood's injury drained the energy out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for 382 on a slow track after an uncontested toss at the venue.

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

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his case for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks enhanced his claim to be selected during the series by hitting 84.

McKinney, Jordan Cox, 17-year-old Thomas Rew and Matthew Potts also scored half-centuries.

England's decision to play a solitary practice match against the development squad has been questioned by some former players but the captain hit back by calling the critics "former players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of spectators at the ground was definitely a world away from what the team will face at a packed Optus Stadium the following week.

The captain was excellent in the contest 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 completed a full part in any of the team's previous four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of regaining the series are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five matches in the host country.

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

Will Jacks is not expected to play in the opening match – the team look to have shown their hand with the XI named here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself in front of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

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.

Brydon Carse missed the first day because of illness, with his place going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Although the captain took the scalps, Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the fresh ball and again after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

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

Joe Root at least claimed a scalp in the closing stages when Fisher unexpectedly hit a full delivery to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.