Ben Stokes Secures Six Scalps in England Ashes Preparation Match

Practice match, Perth venue (first day of three)

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

National team: yet to bat

Ben Stokes achieved 6 scalps in his return to play following July but the tourists faced an injury concern about fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation versus the development squad in Perth.

The England captain, returning after nearly four months out with a shoulder problem, delivered sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two versus England Lions – each to catches taken on the on-side.

Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months out with a knee problem, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on Friday.

The Wood situation removed the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a sluggish pitch after an uncontested toss at the venue.

The tourists wanted to field first to accumulate bowling time before the initial Test match at the main venue, beginning on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell didn't strengthen his case for inclusion in the Test team, making only two, but Jacks boosted his claim to be selected during the series by hitting eighty-four.

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

The team's plan to play a single practice match against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain hit back by calling the doubters "past players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a small crowd of spectators at Lilac Hill was definitely a world away from what England will face at a packed Optus Stadium next week.

Stokes was superb in the series against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to push himself to injury. He missed the last match with a shoulder tear.

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back 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 fine shape on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Will Jacks is not expected to feature in the opening match – England look to have shown their hand with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Prior to the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

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

Although the captain took the wickets, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the fresh ball and once more after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 at an economy of more than eight.

Root at least claimed a scalp in the closing stages when Fisher somehow struck a full delivery to the fielder before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.