Ben Stokes Takes Six Scalps in English Test Series Warm-up

Tour game, Perth venue (first day of 3)

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

England XI: yet to bat

Ben Stokes produced 6 scalps in his initial appearance since July but the tourists encountered an injury concern about fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Perth.

The England captain, making his comeback after almost four months out with a shoulder injury, bowled 16 overs across three spells for his 6-52 versus England Lions – each to catches taken on the on-side.

Pace bowler Wood, himself returning after nine months out with a knee problem, bowled a pre-planned number of eight overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will have a scan on Friday.

Wood's injury drained the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for 382 on a sluggish pitch after an uncontested toss at the venue.

England aimed to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, starting on November 21st.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team selected an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and omitted spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell failed to press his claim for inclusion in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks boosted his claim to be called upon later in the tour by hitting 84.

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

The team's decision to play a single warm-up game against the Lions has been criticized by some former players but Stokes responded by labeling the doubters "has-beens".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a small crowd of spectators at Lilac Hill was definitely a world away from what the team will encounter at a sold-out Optus Stadium next week.

Stokes was superb in the series against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He was absent from the last match with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not managed a complete participation in any of England's past four series because of various injuries and the tourists' chances 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 comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Will Jacks is not expected to feature in the first Test – the team look to have shown their hand with the eleven selected here. Still, he may have moved himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the concern over Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Carse was absent from the opening day because of sickness, with his position going to Tongue. Josh Tongue had opening batsman McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Although Stokes took the wickets, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the fresh ball and once more after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was required to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 runs at an run rate of over eight.

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