Stokes Secures 6 Wickets in English Test Series Warm-up

Practice match, Lilac Hill (day one of 3)

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

England XI: awaiting batting

The England captain delivered six wickets in his initial appearance after July but the tourists faced an injury concern regarding Mark Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Perth.

Stokes, returning after approximately four months away with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 overs across three spells for his 6-52 versus the Lions – each to catches on the leg side.

Pace bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after 9 months out with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will receive scanning on the following day.

The Wood situation removed the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for 382 on a sluggish pitch after an automatic toss at the venue.

England aimed to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, beginning on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the visiting team fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his case for inclusion in the Test team, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected during the series by hitting 84.

McKinney, Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Potts also made fifties.

The team's plan to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain responded by calling the critics "has-beens".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a smattering of fans at the ground was definitely a world away from what England will face at a sold-out main stadium next week.

The captain was superb in the contest against the Indian team in the home summer, only to strain himself to injury. He missed 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 tourists' chances of regaining the series are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five matches in the host country.

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

Jacks is unlikely to feature in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their hand with the eleven named here. Still, he may have moved himself ahead of the struggling Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

Even before the concern over Mark Wood, the five fast bowlers in the England XI for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

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

Although Stokes took the scalps, Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and again after lunch, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was required to bowl fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an run rate of more than eight.

Root at least claimed a wicket in the final session when Matt Fisher unexpectedly struck a full toss to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.