Ben Stokes Takes Six Scalps in England Ashes Preparation Match

Tour match, Perth venue (day one of three)

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

England XI: still to bat

Ben Stokes produced 6 scalps in his initial appearance after July but England faced an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up versus the development squad in Perth.

Stokes, returning after nearly four months out with a shoulder injury, bowled 16 overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two versus the Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, himself returning after 9 months out with a knee injury, delivered a scheduled amount of eight overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. 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 track after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

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

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

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

Ben McKinney, Jordan Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Matthew Potts also scored half-centuries.

England's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been criticized by some former players but Stokes hit back by calling the critics "former players".

A relaxed 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 sold-out main stadium next week.

Stokes was superb in the contest against India in the home summer, only to push himself to injury. He missed the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's past four tours because of different fitness issues and the team's chances of regaining the series are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five Tests in Australia.

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

Will Jacks is not expected to play in the first Test – England look to have shown their hand with the XI named here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself in front of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his 84, which came at almost a run a ball.

Even before the doubt over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Carse missed the opening day because of illness, with his place going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had opening batsman Ben McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Although Stokes took the scalps, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the new ball and once more after lunch, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was asked to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 runs at an run rate of more than eight.

Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Fisher unexpectedly hit a full toss to the fielder before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.