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

Tour game, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

National team: yet to bat

Ben Stokes delivered 6 scalps in his return to play since July but the tourists faced an injury concern regarding Mark Wood on the first day of their Test preparation versus England Lions in Perth.

Stokes, making his comeback after approximately four months away with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 versus the Lions – each to catches on the on-side.

Pace bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after nine months out with a knee problem, bowled a pre-planned number of 8 overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

Wood's injury removed the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an automatic toss at the venue.

England wanted to bowl first to accumulate bowling time 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 selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell failed to press his case for inclusion in the Test side, making only two, but Jacks enhanced his claim to be selected later in the tour by scoring 84.

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

England's decision to play a single warm-up game against the Lions has been criticized by some former players but the captain hit back by calling the doubters "past players".

A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of spectators at Lilac Hill was certainly a different experience from what the team will face at a packed main stadium next week.

The captain was excellent in the contest against India in the domestic season, only to strain himself to breaking point. He was absent from the last match with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not managed a full part in any of England's previous four tours because of various injuries and the tourists' hopes of regaining the Ashes are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five matches in the host country.

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

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the opening match – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven selected here. Still, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

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

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

Although the captain took the wickets, Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the new ball and again after the interval, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

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

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