Stokes Takes Six Wickets in England Ashes Preparation Match

Tour game, Perth venue (day one of 3)

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

National team: yet to bat

Ben Stokes produced 6 scalps in his return to play following July but England faced an injury concern involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation versus the development squad in Perth.

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

Pace bowler Wood, himself returning after nine months away with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will receive scanning on the following day.

Wood's injury 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 automatic toss at the venue.

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

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus the captain – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell failed to press 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 swiping eighty-four.

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

England's plan to play a single practice match against the development squad has been questioned by some former players but the captain hit back by calling the doubters "has-beens".

A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of spectators at the ground was certainly a different experience 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 strain himself to injury. He missed the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's previous four series because of various injuries and the team's chances of regaining the Ashes are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five Tests in the host country.

He has been practicing at maximum speed for two months and appeared in good condition on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Jacks is not expected to feature in the opening match – England look to have shown their hand with the eleven named here. Still, 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 Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the attack for the first Test.

Brydon Carse missed the first day because of illness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman Ben McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Although Stokes took the wickets, Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Joe Root was required to deliver fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 at an run rate of more than eight.

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