Ben Stokes Secures 6 Wickets in England Ashes Warm-up
Practice game, Lilac Hill (day one of 3)
England Lions 382: Will Jacks 84, Ben McKinney 67; Stokes 6-52
National team: still to bat
Ben Stokes produced six wickets in his return to play since July but England faced an injury concern about Mark Wood on the first day of their Ashes warm-up versus England Lions in Western Australia.
Captain's Impressive Comeback
The England captain, returning after nearly four months out with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 against England Lions – each to catches taken on the leg side.
Wood's Fitness Concern
Pace bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after nine months away with a knee problem, bowled a scheduled amount of eight overs before exiting the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on the following day.
Wood's injury drained the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for 382 on a slow track after an automatic toss at the venue.
Team Strategy
The tourists aimed to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the initial Test match at the main venue, starting on November 21st.
In a possible hint towards their first-Test plans, the tourists selected an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and omitted spin bowler Bashir in the Lions.
Batting Performance Highlights
Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for inclusion in the Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks boosted his claim to be selected during the series by scoring eighty-four.
Ben McKinney, Cox, 17-year-old Rew and Potts also scored fifties.
Low-key Environment
England's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some former players but Stokes responded by calling the critics "past players".
A relaxed opening day in front of a smattering of spectators at Lilac Hill was certainly a world away from what the team will encounter at a sold-out main stadium the following week.
Stokes Supreme Performance
The captain was excellent in the contest against India in the home summer, only to strain himself to breaking point. He was absent from the last match with a shoulder tear.
The skipper has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's past four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' chances of regaining the Ashes are significantly reduced if he is absent from any of the five matches in Australia.
He has been bowling at maximum speed 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 dismissals were presented.
Will Jacks Pushes Claim
Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – England look to have shown their intentions with the XI named here. Still, he may have nudged himself ahead of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.
Prior to the doubt over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the attack for the initial match.
Carse was absent from the first day because of illness, with his place going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener McKinney caught behind just after lunch.
Though the captain took the wickets, Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the fresh ball and once more after lunch, when he discomforted Jacks.
In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Root was asked to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 runs at an run rate of over eight.
Root at least claimed a wicket in the closing stages when Fisher somehow struck a full toss to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.
