Ben Stokes Secures 6 Wickets in England Test Series Preparation Match

Tour game, Perth venue (first day of 3)

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

National team: still to bat

Ben Stokes achieved six wickets in his first action following July but the tourists faced an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Western Australia.

Stokes, making his comeback after almost four months away with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 versus England Lions – each to catches on the on-side.

Pace bowler Wood, himself returning after nine months away with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before leaving the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will receive scanning on Friday.

Wood's injury removed the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for 382 on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.

England wanted to field first to build bowling fitness before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, beginning on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Bashir in the Lions.

Bethell failed to press his case for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Jacks boosted his credentials to be selected later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Jordan Cox, teenage Rew and Potts also made half-centuries.

England's plan to play a solitary warm-up game against the Lions has been questioned by some former players but Stokes responded by labeling the critics "former players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a small crowd of spectators at Lilac Hill was definitely a different experience from what the team will encounter at a packed Optus Stadium next week.

Stokes was excellent in the series against India in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He missed the last match with a torn shoulder.

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

He has been bowling at maximum speed for two months and appeared in good condition on the match day, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Will Jacks is not expected to feature in the opening match – England look to have shown their intentions with the eleven selected here. Still, he may have moved himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his 84, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

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

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

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

In the absence of Bashir and with Wood departing, Joe Root was required to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 at an run rate of more than eight.

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