Ben Stokes Secures 6 Wickets in English Ashes Preparation Match

Tour match, Lilac Hill (first day of three)

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

England XI: still to bat

The England captain achieved six wickets in his first action following July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up against England Lions in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after nearly four months away with a shoulder problem, bowled 16 overs across three spells for his 6-52 against the Lions – all to catches on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, himself returning after 9 months away with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before departing the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

The Wood situation drained the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an uncontested toss at the venue.

England wanted to field first to build bowling fitness before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on November 21st.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the visiting team fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus the captain – and omitted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for selection in the Test side, making just two runs, but Will Jacks enhanced his credentials to be called upon later in the tour by hitting eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Potts also made fifties.

The team's plan to play a solitary warm-up game against the Lions has been questioned by some former players but Stokes hit back by labeling the doubters "past players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a small crowd of fans at Lilac Hill was certainly a different experience from what England will face at a packed Optus Stadium next week.

The captain was superb in the series against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He was absent from the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of England's past four series because of various injuries and the tourists' hopes of regaining the series are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been bowling at maximum speed for 60 days and looked in good condition on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were gifted.

Will Jacks is not expected to feature in the opening match – England look to have revealed their intentions with the XI named here. Still, he may have moved himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his 84, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Brydon Carse was absent from the first day because of illness, with his position going to Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Though the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the fresh ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Jacks.

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

Joe Root at least claimed a wicket in the closing stages when Matt Fisher unexpectedly struck a full delivery to mid-on before Jofra Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.