Stokes Claims 6 Wickets in England Test Series Preparation Match

Practice game, Lilac Hill (first day of three)

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

England XI: awaiting batting

Ben Stokes produced 6 scalps in his return to play after July but England faced an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Test preparation against England Lions in Perth.

Stokes, returning after nearly four months away with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two versus England Lions – each to catches taken on the leg side.

Pace bowler Wood, himself returning after nine months away with a knee problem, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before leaving 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 England Lions were dismissed for 382 on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

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

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

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for inclusion in the Test side, making only two, but Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon later in the tour by scoring 84.

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

The team's plan to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been criticized by some ex-players but Stokes responded by calling the doubters "has-beens".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a smattering of fans at Lilac Hill was definitely a different experience from what England will face at a sold-out Optus Stadium next 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 shoulder tear.

The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of England's previous four series because of various injuries and the team's hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five matches in the host country.

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

Will Jacks is not expected to feature in the opening match – England look to have shown their intentions with the XI selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself in front of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

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

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

Though the captain took the wickets, Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the new ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was asked to bowl 14 overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 runs at an run rate of more than eight.

Root at least took a scalp in the closing stages when Fisher somehow hit a full toss to the fielder before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.