Ben Stokes Claims Six Wickets in England Ashes Preparation Match

Practice match, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

National team: still to bat

The England captain delivered six wickets in his initial appearance since July but England encountered an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Perth.

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

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee injury, delivered a pre-planned number of 8 overs before departing the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will have a scan on the following day.

Wood's injury removed the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were dismissed for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at the venue.

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

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists selected an all-pace attack – four specialists plus the captain – and left spin bowler Bashir in the Lions.

Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his case for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks enhanced his claim to be selected during the series by scoring eighty-four.

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

The team's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been criticized by some ex-players but Stokes hit back by labeling the critics "has-beens".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a smattering of spectators at the ground was definitely a world away from what England will encounter at a packed main stadium next week.

Stokes was superb in the series against India in the domestic season, only to push himself to injury. He missed the last match with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the team's chances of winning back the Ashes are vastly diminished 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 appeared in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were gifted.

Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their hand with the eleven named here. Still, he may have moved himself in front of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his 84, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the concern over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Carse was absent from the opening day because of sickness, with his position going to Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Although Stokes took the wickets, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the new ball and again after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Root was required to deliver fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.

Root at least took a wicket in the final session when Fisher somehow struck a full toss to the fielder before Archer bounced out Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.