Ben Stokes Takes Six Wickets in England Ashes Warm-up

Tour match, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

National team: still to bat

Ben Stokes delivered 6 scalps in his initial appearance after July but England faced an injury concern involving Mark Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Western Australia.

The England captain, returning after nearly four months away with a shoulder injury, delivered sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two versus the Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.

Pace bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after nine 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 problem. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

Wood's injury 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 get overs in their legs before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, starting on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the tourists fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell didn't strengthen his case for selection in the Test side, making just two runs, but Will Jacks enhanced his credentials to be called upon during the series by scoring eighty-four.

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

England's decision to play a single warm-up game against the Lions has been criticized by some ex-players but the captain hit back by labeling the doubters "former players".

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

Stokes was superb in the contest against India in the domestic season, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the last match with a torn shoulder.

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

He has been practicing at full pace for 60 days and looked in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – England look to have revealed their hand with the XI named 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 Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

Brydon Carse missed the first day because of sickness, with his place going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

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

In the absence of Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was asked to deliver 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 at an run rate of more than eight.

Root at least claimed a wicket in the final session when Matt Fisher unexpectedly hit a full delivery to the fielder before Archer bounced out Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.