Stokes Secures 6 Wickets in English Test Series Preparation Match

Tour game, Lilac Hill (first day of 3)

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

England XI: yet to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his initial appearance following July but the tourists encountered an injury concern about fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Western Australia.

The England captain, making his comeback after approximately four months away with a shoulder problem, delivered 16 overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two against the Lions – all to catches taken on the on-side.

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

The Wood situation removed the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

The tourists aimed to field first to build bowling fitness before the initial Test match 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 the captain – and left spin bowler Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell failed to press his case for inclusion in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his claim to be called upon during the series by hitting eighty-four.

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

The team's plan to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been criticized by some former players but the captain responded by labeling the doubters "past players".

A relaxed first day in front of a smattering of spectators at the ground was definitely a world away from what the team will face at a sold-out main stadium the following week.

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

The captain has not completed a full part in any of the team's previous four tours because of various injuries and the tourists' chances of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five matches in the host country.

He has been practicing at maximum speed for 60 days and looked in good condition on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Jacks is not expected to play in the opening match – the team look to have shown their hand with the XI selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the struggling Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

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

Carse was absent from the opening day because of sickness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

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

In the absence of Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Root was asked to bowl 14 overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 runs at an run rate of more than eight.

Joe Root at least took a wicket in the final session when Fisher unexpectedly hit a full delivery to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.