Ben Stokes Takes Six Wickets in England Test Series Preparation Match
Tour match, Perth venue (first day of three)
Development squad 382: Jacks 84, Ben McKinney 67; Ben Stokes 6-52
National team: still to bat
The England captain produced 6 scalps in his initial appearance after July but England encountered an fitness worry about Mark Wood on the opening day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Perth.
Skipper's Impressive Return
Stokes, returning after almost four months away with a shoulder injury, bowled 16 overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two versus the Lions – all to catches taken on the leg side.
Mark Wood's Fitness Worry
Pace bowler Wood, himself returning after 9 months away with a knee problem, delivered a scheduled amount of eight overs before exiting the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring problem. He will undergo scanning on Friday.
Wood's injury removed the energy out of the day, as the Lions were dismissed for 382 on a slow track after an automatic toss at Lilac Hill.
Squad Strategy
The tourists aimed to field first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, beginning on November 21st.
In a possible hint towards their first-Test plans, the visiting team fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus Stokes – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the development squad.
Batting Highlights
Bethell failed to press his case for selection in the Test team, making just two runs, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be selected during the series by swiping eighty-four.
McKinney, Jordan Cox, 17-year-old Rew and Matthew Potts also made fifties.
Relaxed Environment
The team's plan to play a single practice match against the development squad has been criticized by some former players but Stokes responded by calling the doubters "former players".
A relaxed opening day in front of a smattering of fans at the ground was certainly a world away from what England will face at a packed main stadium next week.
Captain's Supreme Performance
The captain was superb in the contest against India in the home summer, only to push himself to injury. He was absent from the last match with a torn shoulder.
The skipper has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's previous four tours because of various injuries and the tourists' hopes of regaining the Ashes are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five matches in Australia.
He has been practicing at maximum speed for 60 days and looked in fine shape on Wednesday, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were gifted.
Jacks Pushes Claim
Will Jacks is unlikely to play in the first Test – the team look to have shown their hand with the XI named here. Still, he may have moved himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his eighty-four, which came at nearly run-a-ball pace.
Prior to the concern over Wood, the five fast bowlers in the England XI for this game may not have been the bowling unit for the first Test.
Carse missed the first day because of sickness, with his place going to Josh Tongue. Josh Tongue had opening batsman Ben McKinney caught behind just after the break.
Although the captain took the wickets, Archer caught the eye. He was lively with the new ball and once more after lunch, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.
In the absence of Bashir and with Mark Wood departing, Joe Root was required to bowl 14 overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 runs at an run rate of over eight.
Joe Root at least claimed a scalp in the closing stages when Fisher somehow hit a full delivery to the fielder before Jofra Archer dismissed with a bouncer Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.
