Ben Stokes Takes 6 Wickets in English Ashes Preparation Match

Practice game, Lilac Hill (first day of three)

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

National team: still to bat

The England captain delivered 6 scalps in his return to play since July but England faced an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Western Australia.

The England captain, making his comeback after almost four months away with a shoulder injury, delivered sixteen overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two against England Lions – all to catches on the leg side.

Pace bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after nine months away with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before departing the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on the following day.

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

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

In a possible hint towards their first-Test plans, the tourists fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus the captain – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his case for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Jacks boosted his claim to be selected later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

McKinney, Jordan Cox, 17-year-old Rew and Matthew Potts also scored fifties.

England's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been criticized by some ex-players but Stokes hit back by labeling the doubters "past players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was certainly a different experience from what the team will face at a sold-out Optus Stadium the following week.

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

The captain has not managed a full part in any of the team's previous four series because of different fitness issues and the team's chances of winning back the Ashes are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five Tests in Australia.

He has been bowling at full pace for 60 days and looked in fine shape on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Will Jacks is unlikely to feature in the opening match – England look to have shown their intentions with the XI named here. Still, he may have nudged himself in front of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his 84, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Prior to the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

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

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

In the absence of Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was required to deliver 14 overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

Root at least claimed a wicket in the closing stages when Fisher somehow struck a full toss to mid-on before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.