Stokes Takes 6 Wickets in England Ashes Preparation Match

Tour match, Perth venue (first day of 3)

England Lions 382: Will Jacks 84, McKinney 67; Stokes 6-52

England XI: yet to bat

The England captain achieved 6 scalps in his return to play since July but England encountered an injury concern involving fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Perth.

Stokes, making his comeback after approximately four months out with a shoulder injury, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his 6-52 against the Lions – all to catches on the leg side.

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of eight 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 drained the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

The tourists aimed to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, starting on November 21st.

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

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his case for selection in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected during the series by swiping 84.

McKinney, Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Matthew Potts also made half-centuries.

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

A low-pressure opening day in front of a small crowd of spectators at the ground was definitely a different experience from what the team will encounter at a packed Optus Stadium the following week.

Stokes was superb in the series against India in the home summer, only to strain himself to injury. He was absent from the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of England's past four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of regaining the Ashes are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five Tests in the host country.

He has been practicing at full pace 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.

Will Jacks is unlikely to feature in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the XI named here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

Even before the doubt over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit 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 Ben McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Although Stokes took the wickets, Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the fresh ball and again after the interval, when he discomforted Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Root was required to deliver 14 overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 at an run rate of over eight.

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