Ben Stokes Secures Six Scalps in England Ashes Warm-up

Tour match, Lilac Hill (first day of 3)

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

National team: awaiting batting

Ben Stokes produced six wickets in his return to play since July but England encountered an injury concern involving fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Perth.

Stokes, returning after nearly four months away with a shoulder injury, bowled 16 overs across three spells for his 6-52 versus the Lions – all to catches taken on the on-side.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after nine months out with a knee problem, delivered 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 the following day.

The Wood situation removed the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an uncontested toss at the venue.

The tourists aimed to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on November 21st.

In a possible hint towards their first-Test plans, the visiting team selected an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and left off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his case for selection in the Test team, making only two, but Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected later in the tour by swiping eighty-four.

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

England's decision to play a single warm-up game against the Lions has been questioned by some former players but the captain hit back by calling the doubters "has-beens".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a smattering of spectators at the ground was definitely a world away from what the team will face at a packed main stadium the following week.

The captain was superb in the series against India in the home summer, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the last match with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of England's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' chances of regaining the series are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been practicing at full pace for 60 days and looked in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Jacks is not expected to feature in the first Test – England look to have shown their hand with the XI selected here. Still, he may have nudged himself in front of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his 84, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the doubt 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 position going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener McKinney caught behind just after the break.

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

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Root was asked to bowl 14 overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 runs at an run rate of over eight.

Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to the fielder before Jofra Archer bounced out Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.