Ben Stokes Secures 6 Scalps in English Test Series Preparation Match

Tour match, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

England XI: yet to bat

The England captain delivered six wickets in his return to play after July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Western Australia.

The England captain, returning after almost four months away with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two versus the Lions – all to catches taken on the on-side.

Pace bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after 9 months away with a knee injury, delivered a pre-planned number of 8 overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on the following day.

Wood's injury drained 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 Lilac Hill.

The tourists wanted to bowl first to build bowling fitness 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 omitted off-spinner Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his case for selection in the Test side, making just two runs, but Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon during the series by scoring 84.

Ben McKinney, Cox, 17-year-old Rew and Potts also scored half-centuries.

The team's plan 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 doubters "has-beens".

A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of spectators at the ground was definitely a world away from what the team will face at a packed main stadium next week.

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

The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of England's past four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back the Ashes are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five matches in the host country.

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

Jacks is not expected to play in the opening match – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself in front of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his 84, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Prior to the concern over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the attack for the initial match.

Carse was absent from the first day because of illness, with his place going to Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney caught behind just after lunch.

Although Stokes took the scalps, Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the new ball and again after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

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

Root at least claimed a wicket in the closing stages when Fisher unexpectedly hit a full toss to mid-on before Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.