Stokes Secures 6 Wickets in England Ashes Warm-up

Tour match, Perth venue (day one of three)

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

National team: yet to bat

Ben Stokes achieved six wickets in his initial appearance after July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry about Mark Wood on the first day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Perth.

Stokes, making his comeback after almost four months out with a shoulder problem, delivered sixteen overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two against England Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.

Pace bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months out with a knee injury, bowled a pre-planned number of eight overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will have a scan on the following day.

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

The tourists wanted to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, starting on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus the captain – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his case for inclusion in the Test side, making just two runs, but Will Jacks boosted his claim to be selected later in the tour by swiping 84.

Ben McKinney, Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Matthew Potts also scored half-centuries.

England's plan to play a single practice match against the development squad has been criticized by some ex-players but the captain responded by calling the critics "past players".

A relaxed opening day in front of a smattering of fans at the ground was certainly a world away from what England will encounter at a sold-out main stadium next week.

Stokes was superb in the series against India in the domestic season, only to strain himself to breaking point. He was absent from the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's previous four series because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of regaining the Ashes are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been bowling at maximum speed for two months and appeared in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were gifted.

Will Jacks is unlikely to feature in the opening match – the team look to have shown their intentions with the eleven selected here. Still, he may have nudged himself ahead of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Prior to the concern over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the attack for the first Test.

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

Although the captain took the wickets, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the fresh ball and once more after the interval, when he discomforted Jacks.

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

Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Fisher unexpectedly struck a full toss to the fielder before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.