Stokes Claims Six Wickets in England Test Series Warm-up

Tour game, Perth venue (first day of 3)

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

National team: still to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his first action after July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after nearly four months away with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two versus England Lions – each to catches taken on the leg side.

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before leaving the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will have a scan on Friday.

The Wood situation sucked the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were dismissed for 382 on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

England wanted to field first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on November 21st.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus the captain – and left spin bowler Bashir in the Lions.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his case for selection in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected later in the tour by hitting 84.

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

England's decision to play a single warm-up game against the Lions has been criticized by some former players but the captain hit back by labeling the critics "former players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of spectators at Lilac Hill was certainly a different experience from what England will face at a packed Optus Stadium the following week.

Stokes was superb in the series against India in the home summer, only to push himself to breaking point. He was absent from the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's past four tours 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 maximum speed for two months and looked in good condition on the match day, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Will Jacks is unlikely to feature in the opening match – the team look to have shown their intentions with the XI selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his 84, which came at almost a run a ball.

Even before the concern over Mark Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Brydon Carse missed the first day because of illness, with his position going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

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

In the omission of Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Root was asked to deliver 14 overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 at an run rate of more than eight.

Joe Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Fisher unexpectedly hit a full toss to mid-on before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.