Stokes Takes Six Wickets in England Ashes Preparation Match

Practice match, Lilac Hill (day one of 3)

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

England XI: yet to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his return to play since July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation versus the development squad in Western Australia.

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

Fast bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months out with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

Wood's injury drained the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were dismissed for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an uncontested toss at the venue.

England wanted to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on November 21st.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for inclusion in the Test side, making just two runs, but Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon during the series by swiping 84.

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

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

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

The captain was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the home summer, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the last match with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not managed a complete participation in any of England's past four series because of various injuries and the team's hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been practicing at full pace for two months and looked in good condition on the match day, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were gifted.

Will Jacks is not expected to feature in the opening match – the team 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 nearly run-a-ball pace.

Prior to the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the attack for the first Test.

Carse missed the first day because of illness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Though the captain took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the new ball and once more after the interval, when he discomforted Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Root was asked to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

Joe Root at least claimed a wicket in the closing stages when Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.