Ben Stokes Secures 6 Scalps in England Ashes Preparation Match

Tour game, Perth venue (day one of three)

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

England XI: still to bat

The England captain produced six wickets in his initial appearance since July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Test preparation against England Lions in Perth.

Stokes, making his comeback after almost four months away with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two versus the Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee injury, bowled a pre-planned number of eight overs before leaving the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on Friday.

Wood's injury sucked the energy out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for 382 on a slow track after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

England aimed to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the initial Test match at the main venue, beginning on 21 November.

In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus the captain – and left off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell didn't strengthen his case for selection in the Test team, making just two runs, but Jacks boosted his claim to be selected during the series by hitting eighty-four.

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

The team's plan to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain responded by labeling the critics "has-beens".

A relaxed opening day in front of a smattering of spectators at the ground was definitely a different experience from what England will encounter at a sold-out main stadium the following week.

The captain was superb in the contest against India in the home summer, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's past four tours because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of regaining the Ashes are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been practicing at full pace for 60 days and looked in fine shape on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were gifted.

Jacks is not expected to play in the first Test – the team look to have shown their intentions with the eleven named here. Still, 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.

Prior to the concern over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this match may not have been the attack for the initial match.

Carse missed the first day because of illness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman Ben McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Though Stokes took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the fresh ball and once more after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Wood departing, Joe Root was asked to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, conceding 117 at an economy of more than eight.

Root at least took a scalp in the closing stages when Fisher unexpectedly hit a full toss to mid-on before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.