Stokes Takes Six Wickets in English Ashes Preparation Match

Practice match, Perth venue (day one of 3)

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

England XI: awaiting batting

The England captain produced six wickets in his first action since July but England encountered an injury concern regarding Mark Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation versus the development squad in Perth.

The England captain, making his comeback after nearly four months away with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two against England Lions – each to catches on the on-side.

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months away with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before leaving the field in the afternoon 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 three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

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

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and omitted spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell didn't strengthen his case for selection in the Test team, making only two, but Jacks enhanced his claim to be selected later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Cox, 17-year-old Rew and Matthew Potts also made fifties.

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

A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of spectators at the ground was definitely a world away from what the team will encounter at a packed Optus Stadium next week.

The captain was excellent in the series against India in the domestic season, only to strain himself to injury. He was absent from the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of England's previous four series because of various injuries and the tourists' hopes of winning back the Ashes are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five matches in the host country.

He has been bowling at maximum speed for two months 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 unlikely to play in the opening match – England look to have revealed their hand with the XI named here. Still, he may have moved himself in front of the struggling Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the doubt over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

Carse missed the first day because of sickness, with his position going to Tongue. Josh Tongue had opening batsman Ben McKinney caught behind just after the break.

Though the captain took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the fresh ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was required to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 runs at an run rate of over eight.

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