Ben Stokes Claims 6 Scalps in English Ashes Warm-up

Tour game, Lilac Hill (day one of 3)

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

National team: still to bat

Ben Stokes delivered 6 scalps in his return to play after July but England encountered an fitness worry involving Mark Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against England Lions in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after approximately four months out with a shoulder injury, delivered sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two versus the Lions – each to catches taken on the leg side.

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

The Wood situation sucked the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a sluggish pitch after an uncontested toss at the venue.

The tourists aimed to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, starting on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their first-Test plans, the tourists fielded an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell failed to press his claim for selection in the Test side, making only two, but Jacks enhanced his claim to be called upon later in the tour by scoring 84.

McKinney, Jordan Cox, 17-year-old Thomas Rew and Matthew Potts also scored fifties.

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

A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was definitely a different experience from what England will encounter at a packed Optus Stadium next week.

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

The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of England's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' chances of winning back the series are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five matches in the host country.

He has been bowling at full pace for two months and appeared in fine shape on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Will Jacks is not expected to play in the opening match – England look to have revealed their hand with the eleven named here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.

Even before the doubt over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the attack for the first Test.

Carse was absent from 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 lunch.

Though the captain took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the fresh ball and again after the interval, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

In the omission of Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Root was required to deliver 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an economy of over eight.

Joe Root at least claimed a scalp in the final session when Matt Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.