Stokes Secures Six Wickets in English Test Series Warm-up
Tour match, Lilac Hill (day one of three)
Development squad 382: Jacks 84, McKinney 67; Stokes 6-52
England XI: awaiting batting
The England captain achieved 6 scalps in his return to play following July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry involving Mark Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up versus the development squad in Western Australia.
Skipper's Outstanding Comeback
Stokes, making his comeback after approximately four months out with a shoulder problem, delivered 16 overs across three bowling spells for his six for fifty-two against England Lions – each to catches taken on the leg side.
Wood's Fitness Concern
Fast bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee problem, delivered a pre-planned number of 8 overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring problem. He will receive scanning on Friday.
Wood's injury removed the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were dismissed for three hundred eighty-two on a sluggish pitch after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.
Squad Planning
The tourists wanted to bowl first to accumulate bowling time before the initial Test match at Optus Stadium, starting on November 21st.
In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the visiting team fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and omitted spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.
Batting Performance Standouts
Bethell didn't strengthen his case for selection in the Test team, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his credentials to be selected during the series by hitting eighty-four.
McKinney, Cox, teenage Rew and Matthew Potts also made fifties.
Low-key Atmosphere
The team's plan to play a solitary practice match against the Lions has been criticized by some former players but Stokes responded by labeling the critics "has-beens".
A low-pressure first day in front of a small crowd of fans at Lilac Hill was definitely a world away from what the team will face at a sold-out Optus Stadium the following week.
Stokes Supreme Performance
The captain was superb in the series against India in the domestic season, only to strain himself to breaking point. He missed the final Test with a shoulder tear.
The skipper has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's past four tours because of various injuries and the tourists' chances of regaining the series are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five Tests in the host country.
He has been bowling at maximum speed for two months and looked in good condition on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his wickets were presented.
Jacks Pushes Claim
Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – England look to have shown their intentions with the eleven selected here. Still, 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.
Prior to the concern over Wood, the five seamers in the England XI for this game may not have been the attack for the first Test.
Brydon Carse was absent from the first day because of sickness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman McKinney edging to the keeper just after the break.
Although Stokes took the scalps, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the fresh ball and once more after the interval, when he discomforted Jacks.
In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Joe Root was required to deliver fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was average performance, costing 117 at an economy of more than eight.
Joe Root at least took a wicket in the final session when Matt Fisher somehow hit a full toss to the fielder before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.
