Ben Stokes Takes Six Scalps in English Ashes Warm-up

Practice match, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

National team: still to bat

Ben Stokes delivered six wickets in his first action following July but the tourists encountered an injury concern involving Mark Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up versus the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, returning after approximately four months away with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 versus England Lions – each to catches taken on the leg side.

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on the following day.

The Wood situation sucked the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for 382 on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

The tourists aimed to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and omitted off-spinner Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell failed to press his case for selection in the Test team, making only two, but Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

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

England's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the Lions has been criticized by some ex-players but the captain responded by labeling the doubters "former players".

A relaxed first day in front of a smattering of fans at the ground was definitely a world away from what England will face at a packed Optus Stadium next week.

Stokes was superb in the contest against India in the home summer, only to push himself to breaking point. He was absent from the last match with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not completed a full part in any of England's previous four series because of various injuries and the team's chances 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 practicing at full pace for two months and appeared in good condition on the match day, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the opening match – England look to have shown their hand with the eleven named 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 Mark Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

Carse missed the opening day because of sickness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman Ben McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Though Stokes took the wickets, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and once more after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 runs at an economy of over eight.

Root at least claimed a scalp in the closing stages when Matt Fisher somehow hit a full toss to the fielder before Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.