Ben Stokes Secures 6 Wickets in English Ashes Warm-up

Tour game, Perth venue (first day of 3)

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

National team: awaiting batting

The England captain achieved six wickets in his return to play since July but the tourists encountered an injury concern involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation versus England Lions in Western Australia.

The England captain, making his comeback after nearly four months away with a shoulder injury, delivered sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two versus England Lions – all to catches taken on the on-side.

Pace bowler Wood, himself returning after nine months out with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before departing the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will receive scanning on the following day.

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

The tourists aimed to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, starting on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the visiting team selected an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his claim for inclusion in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected during the series by scoring eighty-four.

Ben McKinney, Jordan Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Matthew Potts also scored fifties.

The team's plan to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been criticized by some former players but Stokes hit back by labeling the critics "has-beens".

A relaxed first day in front of a smattering of fans at Lilac Hill was definitely a world away from what the team will face at a packed main stadium the following week.

The captain was excellent in the series against India in the home summer, only to strain himself to injury. He missed the last match with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's past four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in the host country.

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

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

Prior to the concern over Mark Wood, the five fast bowlers in the England XI for this game may not have been the attack for the first Test.

Brydon Carse was absent from the first day because of illness, with his position going to Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney caught behind just after the break.

Though the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the new ball and once more after the interval, when he caused problems for Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Root was required to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, conceding 117 at an economy of more than eight.

Joe Root at least claimed a scalp in the closing stages when Fisher unexpectedly hit a full delivery to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.