Ben Stokes Takes Six Scalps in English Ashes Warm-up

Practice match, Perth venue (day one of three)

Development squad 382: Will Jacks 84, Ben McKinney 67; Ben Stokes 6-52

National team: still to bat

Ben Stokes achieved six wickets in his return to play after July but England faced an fitness worry about fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Western Australia.

Stokes, returning after approximately four months out with a shoulder injury, bowled 16 overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two against England Lions – each to catches taken on the on-side.

Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months out with a knee injury, bowled a pre-planned number of 8 overs before departing the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on Friday.

Wood's injury drained the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a sluggish pitch after an automatic toss at the venue.

England aimed to field first to build bowling fitness before the first Ashes Test 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 omitted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.

Jacob Bethell failed to press his claim for selection in the Test team, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his credentials to be called upon during the series by hitting eighty-four.

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

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

A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of fans at Lilac Hill was definitely a different experience from what England will face at a packed main stadium next week.

The captain was superb in the series against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He missed the final Test with a shoulder tear.

The skipper has not managed a full part in any of the team's past four tours because of various injuries and the team's chances of regaining the Ashes are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five matches in Australia.

He has been bowling at full pace for 60 days and looked in good condition on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were presented.

Jacks is not expected to feature in the first Test – England look to have shown their hand with the eleven named here. Still, he may have moved himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob 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 bowling unit for the initial match.

Brydon Carse was absent from the first day because of illness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.

Though Stokes took the wickets, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.

In the absence of Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was asked to deliver fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 at an economy of more than eight.

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