Ben Stokes Claims 6 Wickets in English Ashes Warm-up

Tour game, Perth venue (first day of three)

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

National team: awaiting batting

The England captain delivered 6 scalps in his initial appearance following July but the tourists encountered an injury concern involving Mark Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation versus the development squad in Western Australia.

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

Fast bowler Wood, himself returning after nine months out with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before departing the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

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

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

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the visiting team fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell failed to press his claim for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks boosted his claim to be selected during the series by swiping 84.

Ben McKinney, Cox, 17-year-old Rew and Matthew Potts also made fifties.

The team's decision to play a solitary practice match against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but Stokes responded by labeling the critics "has-beens".

A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of spectators at the ground was definitely a different experience from what England will encounter at a sold-out Optus Stadium the following week.

The captain was excellent in the contest against India in the domestic season, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the last match with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of England's past four tours because of various injuries and the team's chances of winning back the Ashes are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five Tests in the host country.

He has been bowling 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 wickets were presented.

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

Even before the doubt over Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

Brydon Carse was absent from the first day because of illness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Although Stokes took the wickets, Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the new ball and once more after lunch, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was required to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

Root at least claimed a scalp in the closing stages when Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to mid-on before Jofra Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.