Stokes Claims Six Scalps in English Test Series Preparation Match

Tour game, Perth venue (first day of three)

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

England XI: yet to bat

The England captain produced 6 scalps in his first action since July but England encountered an injury concern about fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Western Australia.

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

Pace bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after 9 months away with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before leaving the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will have a scan on the following day.

The Wood situation drained the energy out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a sluggish pitch after an uncontested toss at the venue.

The tourists wanted to bowl first to build bowling fitness before the initial Test match at the main venue, starting on November 21st.

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

Jacob Bethell failed to press his claim for selection in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be selected later in the tour by swiping 84.

McKinney, Jordan Cox, teenage Rew and Potts also made fifties.

The team's plan to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been criticized by some ex-players but the captain responded by calling the doubters "has-beens".

A low-pressure opening day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was definitely a different experience from what England will face at a sold-out main stadium the following week.

Stokes was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the home summer, only to strain himself to injury. He missed the last match with a torn shoulder.

The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of England's previous four tours because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of regaining the Ashes are vastly diminished if he misses 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 the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.

Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the opening match – the team look to have shown their hand with the eleven named here. Nevertheless, he may have moved himself ahead of the struggling Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.

Even before the concern over Mark Wood, the five fast bowlers in the team lineup for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.

Carse was absent from the opening day because of illness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper 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 lunch, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood departing, Joe Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 runs at an economy of over eight.

Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Matt Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.