Stokes Takes Six Wickets in England Test Series Warm-up

Tour match, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

National team: yet to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his return to play after July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up against England Lions in Perth.

The England captain, making his comeback after almost four months out with a shoulder problem, bowled 16 overs across three spells for his 6-52 versus England Lions – each to catches taken on the leg side.

Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months away with a knee injury, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will receive scanning on Friday.

Wood's injury drained the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow track after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.

England aimed to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, starting on 21 November.

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

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

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

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

A low-pressure 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 the following week.

The captain was superb in the series against India in the domestic season, only to strain himself to injury. He was absent from the last match with a shoulder tear.

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

He has been practicing at maximum speed for two months and looked in fine shape on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

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

Prior to the doubt over Mark 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 illness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had opening batsman McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Although the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the fresh ball and once more after the interval, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was required to deliver fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 runs at an run rate of over eight.

Root at least took a wicket in the final session when Matt Fisher somehow struck a full delivery to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.