Stokes Takes Six Scalps in England Ashes Preparation Match

Practice game, Perth venue (day one of 3)

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

England XI: awaiting batting

Ben Stokes delivered 6 scalps in his initial appearance following July but England faced an injury concern involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up against England Lions in Perth.

The England captain, making his comeback after nearly four months away with a shoulder injury, delivered sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two against England Lions – each to catches on the on-side.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after 9 months out with a knee problem, 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 intensity out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for 382 on a slow, low surface after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

The tourists aimed to field first to get overs in their legs before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, beginning on November 21st.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the visiting team selected an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and omitted spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell failed to press his case for selection in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon later in the tour by hitting eighty-four.

McKinney, Jordan Cox, teenage Rew and Potts also made fifties.

England's decision to play a solitary practice match against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain responded by labeling the doubters "past players".

A relaxed opening day in front of a smattering of spectators at Lilac Hill was definitely a world away from what England will encounter at a packed main stadium the following week.

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

The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of England's previous four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back the Ashes are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five Tests in the host country.

He has been bowling at maximum speed for 60 days and looked in fine shape on the match day, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were presented.

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – England look to have shown their hand with the XI named here. Still, he may have nudged himself in front of the struggling Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the concern over Mark 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 first day because of illness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman Ben McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Though Stokes took the scalps, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the new ball and again after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Wood departing, Joe Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an run rate of over eight.

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