Stokes Secures Six Wickets in English Test Series Warm-up

Tour match, Perth venue (first day of 3)

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

England XI: still to bat

Ben Stokes achieved six wickets in his return to play since July but England encountered an fitness worry about Mark Wood on the first day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Perth.

Stokes, making his comeback after approximately four months out with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two against the Lions – all to catches on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months away with a knee injury, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before departing the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on Friday.

The Wood situation drained 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 the venue.

England wanted to field first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and omitted spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell failed to press his case for inclusion in the Test team, making only two, but Will Jacks boosted his claim to be called upon later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

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

The team's plan to play a single practice match against the Lions has been criticized by some former players but Stokes hit back by labeling the critics "has-beens".

A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was definitely a different experience from what England will face at a sold-out Optus Stadium the following week.

Stokes was superb in the series against the Indian team in the home summer, only to push himself to breaking point. He missed the last match with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not managed a full part in any of the team's previous four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' chances of regaining the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in the host country.

He has been practicing at maximum speed 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 first Test – the team look to have shown their intentions with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his 84, which came at almost a run a ball.

Even before the doubt over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the attack for the first Test.

Carse missed the opening day because of sickness, with his position going to Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Though Stokes took the wickets, Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and once more after lunch, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

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

Joe Root at least took a wicket in the closing stages when Fisher somehow struck a full toss to the fielder before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.