Stokes Takes Six Wickets in England Ashes Preparation Match
Tour game, Lilac Hill (day one of 3)
England Lions 382: Will Jacks 84, McKinney 67; Stokes 6-52
National team: awaiting batting
The England captain delivered six wickets in his return to play following July but the tourists faced an fitness worry regarding fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation versus England Lions in Perth.
Captain's Impressive Comeback
Stokes, returning after almost four months out with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two against England Lions – all to catches on the on-side.
Wood's Injury Worry
Pace bowler Wood, also making his comeback after nine months out with a knee injury, bowled a pre-planned number of 8 overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will undergo scanning on Friday.
The Wood situation removed the energy out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.
Team Planning
The tourists wanted to bowl first to get overs in their legs before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on November 21st.
In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.
Batting Standouts
Bethell didn't strengthen his case for selection in the Test team, making just two runs, but Jacks boosted his credentials to be selected later in the tour by swiping eighty-four.
McKinney, Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Potts also scored half-centuries.
Low-key Environment
England's plan to play a solitary practice match against the Lions has been questioned by some former players but Stokes responded by calling the critics "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 the team will encounter at a packed main stadium next week.
Captain's Supreme Return
The captain was excellent in the series against India in the home summer, only to push himself to breaking point. He missed the final Test with a torn shoulder.
The skipper has not completed a full part in any of the team's previous four series because of various injuries and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five Tests in Australia.
He has been bowling at full pace for two months and looked in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were gifted.
Jacks Pushes Claim
Jacks is unlikely to play in the opening match – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven selected here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself in front of the out-of-sorts Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.
Even before the concern over 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 opening day because of illness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.
Although Stokes took the scalps, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the new ball and again after lunch, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.
In the omission of Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Root was required to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 at an run rate of over eight.
Joe Root at least took a wicket in the closing stages when Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for 53 with the final ball of the day.
