Stokes Secures Six Scalps in English Ashes Warm-up

Practice game, Perth venue (day one of three)

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

England XI: still to bat

The England captain achieved 6 scalps in his return to play since July but the tourists faced an injury concern regarding Mark Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after almost four months away with a shoulder injury, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his 6-52 against the Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, himself returning after 9 months away with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on the following day.

Wood's injury sucked the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for 382 on a sluggish pitch after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

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

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 spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell failed to press his claim for selection in the Test team, making only two, but Will Jacks boosted his claim to be called upon during the series by swiping eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Cox, 17-year-old Rew and Matthew Potts also scored half-centuries.

England's plan 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 small crowd of spectators at the ground was definitely a world away from what England will face at a packed Optus Stadium the following week.

The captain was superb in the contest against India in the home summer, only to push himself to breaking point. He missed the last match with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's previous four tours because of various injuries and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five Tests in Australia.

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

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

Prior to the doubt over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Brydon Carse missed the opening day because of sickness, with his place going to Tongue. Josh Tongue had opening batsman McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

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

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Root was required to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 at an run rate of over eight.

Root at least claimed a scalp in the final session when Fisher unexpectedly 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.