Stokes Takes 6 Wickets in England Ashes Warm-up

Practice game, Lilac Hill (first day of three)

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

National team: still to bat

The England captain achieved six wickets in his first action after July but England faced an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Western Australia.

Stokes, returning after almost four months out with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two versus the Lions – all to catches on the on-side.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months away with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before departing the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will receive scanning on the following day.

The Wood situation sucked the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for three hundred eighty-two on a sluggish pitch after an uncontested toss at the venue.

The tourists aimed to field first to get overs in their legs before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, starting on November 21st.

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and omitted off-spinner Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for inclusion in the Test team, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected later in the tour by hitting 84.

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

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

A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of spectators at the ground was definitely a different experience from what England will encounter at a packed main stadium next week.

The captain was superb in the series against India in the home summer, only to push himself to breaking point. He missed the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's past four series because of various injuries and the tourists' hopes of regaining the Ashes are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five matches in the host country.

He has been bowling at full pace for two months and appeared in fine shape on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Jacks is not expected to feature in the opening match – the team look to have shown their intentions with the XI named here. Still, he may have moved himself ahead of the struggling Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

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

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

Though the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the new ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood departing, Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

Root at least claimed a scalp in the final session when Matt Fisher somehow struck a full delivery to the fielder before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.