Ben Stokes Secures Six Wickets in English Test Series Warm-up
Practice match, Perth venue (day one of three)
Development squad 382: Jacks 84, McKinney 67; Ben Stokes 6-52
National team: yet to bat
Ben Stokes delivered six wickets in his first action after July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry regarding Mark Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation versus England Lions in Western Australia.
Skipper's Impressive Comeback
The England captain, returning after almost four months away with a shoulder injury, delivered 16 overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two against England Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.
Wood's Fitness Concern
Fast bowler Mark Wood, himself returning after nine months away with a knee injury, bowled a scheduled amount of 8 overs before departing the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on the following day.
Wood's injury sucked the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for 382 on a sluggish pitch after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.
Team Planning
The tourists wanted to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, beginning on November 21st.
In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus Stokes – and omitted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.
Batting Standouts
Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for selection in the Test side, making only two, but Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected later in the tour by swiping 84.
Ben McKinney, Jordan Cox, 17-year-old Thomas Rew and Matthew Potts also scored fifties.
Low-key Environment
The team's decision to play a single practice match against the Lions has been questioned by some ex-players but Stokes responded by labeling the doubters "has-beens".
A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of fans at Lilac Hill was certainly a different experience from what the team will face at a packed Optus Stadium next week.
Stokes Supreme Return
The captain was excellent in the series against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to strain himself to injury. He was absent from the final Test with a shoulder tear.
The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of England's past four series because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of regaining the Ashes are vastly diminished if he misses any of the five Tests in Australia.
He has been practicing at maximum speed for 60 days and looked in fine shape on the match day, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his wickets were presented.
Jacks Strengthens Claim
Jacks is unlikely to feature in the opening match – England look to have shown their hand with the eleven named here. Still, he may have moved himself in front of the out-of-sorts Jacob 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.
Carse was absent from the opening day because of illness, with his place going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney caught behind just after lunch.
Though the captain took the wickets, Archer impressed observers. He was energetic with the fresh ball and once more after lunch, when he caused problems for Jacks.
In the absence of Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Root was required to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, conceding 117 runs at an economy of more than eight.
Joe Root at least took a wicket in the final session when Fisher unexpectedly hit a full delivery to mid-on before Jofra Archer bounced out Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.
