Ben Stokes Claims 6 Wickets in England Test Series Warm-up

Practice game, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

England XI: yet to bat

The England captain achieved 6 scalps in his return to play after July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Perth.

The England captain, returning after approximately four months out with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 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, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on the following day.

The Wood situation sucked the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for 382 on a slow track after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

England wanted to bowl first to build bowling fitness before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, starting on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the tourists selected an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and left spin bowler Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell failed to press his claim for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Jacks enhanced his claim to be called upon during the series by hitting eighty-four.

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

England's plan to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been criticized by some former players but the captain responded by calling the critics "past players".

A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of spectators at Lilac Hill was definitely a different experience from what the team will encounter at a sold-out main stadium the following week.

Stokes was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He missed the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of England's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the team's 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 full pace for 60 days and looked in fine shape on Wednesday, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Jacks is unlikely to play in the opening match – England look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven selected here. Still, he may have nudged himself in front of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his 84, which came at almost a run a ball.

Even before the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the England XI 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. Josh Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Though the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the new ball and once more after lunch, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood departing, Joe Root was required to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 at an run rate of more than eight.

Joe Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to the fielder before Archer bounced out Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.