Ben Stokes Secures 6 Scalps in England Test Series Preparation Match

Practice game, Lilac Hill (day one of three)

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

National team: still to bat

Ben Stokes delivered 6 scalps in his return to play since July but England encountered an injury concern about Mark Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus the development squad in Western Australia.

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

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

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

England aimed to bowl first to build bowling fitness before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, starting on 21 November.

In a potential indication towards their first-Test plans, the tourists selected an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and left off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for inclusion in the Test team, making only two, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be called upon later in the tour by hitting 84.

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

England's plan to play a solitary practice match against the Lions has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain hit back by labeling the critics "former players".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a smattering of spectators at the ground was definitely a world away from what the team will encounter at a packed main stadium next week.

The captain was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He was absent from the final Test with a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not completed a full part in any of the team's past four series because of various injuries and the team's chances 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 maximum speed for two months and looked in fine shape on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend 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 hand with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself in front of the struggling Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

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

Brydon Carse missed the first day because of illness, with his place going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.

Though Stokes took the scalps, Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the fresh ball and again after lunch, when he discomforted Will Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was asked to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, costing 117 runs at an run rate of more than eight.

Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to the fielder before Archer bounced out Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.