Stokes Claims 6 Wickets in England Test Series Warm-up

Tour match, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

England XI: yet to bat

The England captain delivered six wickets in his return to play following July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry regarding Mark Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Perth.

Stokes, returning after nearly four months out with a shoulder problem, delivered 16 overs across three spells for his 6-52 against England Lions – each to catches taken on the leg side.

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months out with a knee injury, bowled a pre-planned number of 8 overs before leaving the field in the afternoon 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 England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at the venue.

England aimed to field first to build bowling fitness before the initial Test match at the main venue, starting on November 21st.

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his claim for inclusion in the Test side, making just two runs, but Will Jacks enhanced his claim to be selected during the series by swiping eighty-four.

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

England's decision to play a single practice match against the development squad has been criticized by some former players but Stokes responded by calling the doubters "past players".

A low-pressure first day in front of a smattering of spectators at the ground was definitely a world away from what England will face at a packed Optus Stadium the following week.

Stokes was superb in the contest against the Indian team in the home summer, only to strain himself to injury. He was absent from the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not managed a full part in any of England's past four series because of various injuries and the tourists' hopes of winning back the Ashes are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five matches in the host country.

He has been bowling at maximum speed 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.

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – the team look to have shown their intentions with the eleven named here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

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

Carse was absent from the opening day because of illness, with his place going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had opening batsman McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Though the captain took the scalps, Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the new ball and once more after lunch, when he discomforted Jacks.

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

Joe Root at least claimed a scalp in the closing stages when Fisher unexpectedly hit a full delivery to the fielder before Jofra Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.