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

Tour game, Lilac Hill (first day of 3)

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

National team: yet to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his initial appearance following July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Test preparation against England Lions in Western Australia.

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

Fast bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months away with a knee injury, 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.

The Wood situation removed the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an automatic toss at the venue.

England wanted to field 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 visiting team selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and omitted spin bowler Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his claim for inclusion in the Test side, making just two runs, but Will Jacks boosted his claim to be called upon later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

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

England's plan to play a single practice match against the Lions has been questioned by some former players but the captain responded by calling the doubters "former players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a small crowd of spectators at Lilac Hill was certainly a different experience from what England will encounter at a sold-out main stadium next week.

The captain was excellent in the contest against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to strain himself to breaking point. He missed the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not completed a full part in any of England's previous four tours because of various injuries and the team's chances 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 appeared in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Jacks is not expected to feature in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven named here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his 84, which came at almost a run a ball.

Prior to the doubt over Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the initial match.

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

Although the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the new ball and once more after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 at an run rate of over eight.

Root at least claimed a wicket in the closing stages when Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.