Stokes Claims Six Wickets in English Ashes Preparation Match
Tour game, Perth venue (first day of three)
Development squad 382: Jacks 84, McKinney 67; Ben Stokes 6-52
England XI: yet to bat
The England captain delivered 6 scalps in his initial appearance following July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry involving fast bowler Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Western Australia.
Skipper's Outstanding Comeback
The England captain, making his comeback after almost four months away with a shoulder injury, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his 6-52 against the Lions – each to catches taken on the on-side.
Mark Wood's Fitness Concern
Fast bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee injury, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will receive scanning on the following day.
The Wood situation removed the energy out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for three hundred eighty-two on a slow, low surface after an uncontested toss at the venue.
Team Planning
The tourists aimed to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on November 21st.
In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an all-pace attack – four specialists plus Stokes – and omitted spin bowler Bashir in the development squad.
Batting Standouts
Jacob Bethell failed to press his case for selection in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks enhanced his claim to be called upon later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.
McKinney, Jordan Cox, 17-year-old Thomas Rew and Potts also scored fifties.
Relaxed Atmosphere
England's decision to play a solitary practice match against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but Stokes hit back by calling the critics "past players".
A relaxed first day in front of a small crowd of spectators at Lilac Hill was certainly a different experience from what England will encounter at a packed Optus Stadium the following week.
Stokes Excellent Performance
The captain was superb in the contest against the Indian team in the home summer, only to strain himself to injury. He was absent from the final Test with a torn shoulder.
The captain has not completed a complete participation in any of the team's past four series because of different fitness issues and the team's hopes of winning back the series are vastly diminished if he misses 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 wickets were presented.
Will Jacks Pushes Case
Will Jacks is not expected to play in the first Test – the team look to have shown their intentions with the eleven selected here. Still, he may have moved himself in front of the struggling Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at almost a run a ball.
Even before the concern over Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this match may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.
Carse was absent from the first day because of sickness, with his position going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.
Although the captain took the scalps, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and again after lunch, when he discomforted Jacks.
In the omission of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Joe Root was required to bowl 14 overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 at an run rate of over eight.
Root at least took a wicket in the final session when Matt Fisher somehow struck a full delivery to the fielder before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for 53 with the last delivery of the day.