Stokes Claims 6 Wickets in England Test Series Preparation Match

Practice match, Lilac Hill (first day of 3)

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

National team: yet to bat

The England captain achieved six wickets in his initial appearance following July but England encountered an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Test preparation versus England Lions in Perth.

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

Fast bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after nine months away with a knee problem, delivered a scheduled amount of eight overs before leaving the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will receive scanning on the following day.

Wood's injury drained the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for 382 on a sluggish pitch after an uncontested toss at the venue.

England wanted to field first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, starting on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell failed to press his claim for inclusion in the Test side, making just two runs, but Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected later in the tour by hitting eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Cox, teenage Rew and Matthew Potts also made fifties.

England's plan to play a solitary warm-up game against the Lions has been questioned by some former players but Stokes responded by labeling the doubters "has-beens".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a smattering of spectators at the ground was certainly a world away from what the team will face at a sold-out main stadium next week.

Stokes was superb 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 captain has not completed a complete participation in any of England's past four series because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five Tests in Australia.

He has been bowling at full pace for 60 days and looked in fine shape on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Jacks is not expected to play in the opening match – the team look to have shown their intentions with the XI selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself in front of the out-of-sorts 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 bowling unit for the first Test.

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

Though the captain took the wickets, Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and again after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

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

Root at least claimed a scalp in the final session when Fisher unexpectedly struck a full toss to the fielder before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.