Stokes Secures 6 Scalps in English Test Series Preparation Match

Tour match, Lilac Hill (first day of three)

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

National team: yet to bat

The England captain achieved six wickets in his first action following July but the tourists faced an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against England Lions in Perth.

The England captain, making his comeback after approximately 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.

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on Friday.

Wood's injury removed the energy out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

England aimed to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, beginning on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the tourists fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his claim for selection in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected during the series by hitting eighty-four.

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

England's decision to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain responded by calling the doubters "former players".

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

Stokes was excellent in the contest against India in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He missed the last match with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not completed a full part in any of England's past four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been practicing at full pace for two months and looked in fine shape on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his dismissals were presented.

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – the team look to have shown their intentions with the XI selected here. Still, 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 doubt over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the England XI for this match may not have been the attack for the initial match.

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

Although Stokes took the scalps, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and once more after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was required to bowl 14 overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an economy of over eight.

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