Ben Stokes Takes 6 Wickets in England Test Series Warm-up

Practice match, Lilac Hill (first day of three)

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

England XI: still to bat

Ben Stokes produced 6 scalps in his return to play since July but England faced an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Western Australia.

The England captain, returning after nearly four months away with a shoulder problem, bowled 16 overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two versus England Lions – all to catches on the on-side.

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months out with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on Friday.

Wood's injury removed the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for 382 on a slow, low surface after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

The tourists wanted to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on November 21st.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the tourists selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and omitted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

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

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

England's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some former players but the captain responded by labeling the critics "past players".

A relaxed first day in front of a smattering of spectators at Lilac Hill was certainly a world away from what England will face at a packed main stadium the following week.

The captain was excellent in the contest against the Indian team in the home summer, only to push himself to breaking point. He was absent from the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' chances of winning back the series are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five matches in Australia.

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

Will Jacks is not expected to play in the first Test – the team look to have shown their intentions with the XI named here. Still, he may have moved himself in front of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Prior to the concern over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the attack for the initial match.

Carse missed the opening day because of illness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Although the captain took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the fresh ball and again after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Root was required to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, costing 117 at an run rate of over eight.

Root at least claimed a scalp in the final session when Fisher unexpectedly struck a full delivery to the fielder before Jofra Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.