Stokes Claims 6 Wickets in English Ashes Warm-up
Tour game, Perth venue (day one of three)
England Lions 382: Will Jacks 84, Ben McKinney 67; Stokes 6-52
National team: awaiting batting
Ben Stokes achieved six wickets in his first action after July but England faced an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Perth.
Skipper's Impressive Return
Stokes, making his comeback after approximately four months away with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two versus England Lions – all to catches taken on the on-side.
Wood's Fitness Worry
Pace bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after nine months out with a knee injury, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before leaving the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on the following day.
The Wood situation sucked the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for three hundred eighty-two on a sluggish pitch after an automatic toss at the venue.
Team Planning
England aimed to field first to get overs in their legs before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, beginning on 21 November.
In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and omitted off-spinner Bashir in the Lions.
Batting Standouts
Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for inclusion in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be selected later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.
Ben McKinney, Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Potts also made half-centuries.
Low-key Atmosphere
England's plan to play a single warm-up game against the Lions has been questioned by some former players but the captain hit back by calling the doubters "past players".
A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of fans at the ground was certainly a different experience from what England will face at a packed main stadium next week.
Stokes Excellent Performance
Stokes was excellent in the contest against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to strain himself to injury. He missed the final Test with a shoulder tear.
The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's past four series because of various injuries and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five matches in Australia.
He has been practicing at maximum speed for 60 days and looked in fine shape on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were presented.
Will Jacks Pushes Claim
Jacks is not expected to play in the opening match – England look to have shown their intentions with the XI selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself in front of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his 84, which came at almost a run a ball.
Even before the doubt over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the England XI for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.
Brydon Carse was absent from the opening day because of illness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener McKinney caught behind just after the break.
Though Stokes took the wickets, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the new ball and again after lunch, when he discomforted Jacks.
In the absence of Bashir and with Wood departing, Joe Root was asked to deliver 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 runs at an run rate of over eight.
Joe Root at least took a wicket in the final session when Fisher somehow struck a full delivery to mid-on before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.