Stokes Claims 6 Wickets in English Ashes Warm-up
Practice game, Perth venue (first day of three)
Development squad 382: Jacks 84, McKinney 67; Stokes 6-52
England XI: yet to bat
The England captain achieved 6 scalps in his first action since July but the tourists encountered an fitness worry involving Mark Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up against the development squad in Perth.
Skipper's Impressive Return
Stokes, making his comeback after almost four months out with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three bowling spells for his 6-52 versus the Lions – each to catches taken on the on-side.
Mark Wood's Fitness Worry
Fast bowler Wood, also making his comeback after 9 months away with a knee problem, delivered a pre-planned number of eight overs before leaving the field in the afternoon session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on Friday.
The Wood situation drained the intensity out of the day, as the Lions were bowled out for 382 on a sluggish pitch after an uncontested toss at Lilac Hill.
Squad Strategy
England aimed to field first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, starting on November 21st.
In a possible hint towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an fast bowling lineup – four specialists plus Stokes – and left off-spinner Bashir in the Lions.
Batting Highlights
Bethell failed to press his claim for selection in the Test team, making only two, but Will Jacks boosted his credentials to be selected later in the tour by scoring eighty-four.
Ben McKinney, Cox, 17-year-old Thomas Rew and Matthew Potts also made half-centuries.
Low-key Environment
England's decision to play a solitary warm-up game against the development squad has been questioned by some ex-players but the captain responded by labeling the doubters "has-beens".
A low-pressure opening day in front of a small crowd of fans at Lilac Hill was certainly a world away from what the team will face at a sold-out Optus Stadium the following week.
Stokes Supreme Performance
Stokes was superb in the contest against India in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He missed the last match with a shoulder tear.
The skipper 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 regaining the Ashes are vastly diminished if he is absent from any of the five Tests in the host country.
He has been practicing at maximum speed for 60 days and appeared in fine shape on the match day, even if he could not comprehend the way in which some of his dismissals were presented.
Jacks Strengthens Claim
Will Jacks is not expected to feature in the opening match – England look to have revealed their hand with the eleven named here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the out-of-sorts Jacob Bethell with his 84, which came at almost a run a ball.
Even before the doubt over Mark Wood, the five seamers in the team lineup for this game may not have been the attack for the initial match.
Carse was absent from the first day because of illness, with his place going to Tongue. Tongue had opening batsman Ben McKinney edging to the keeper just after lunch.
Though the captain took the wickets, Jofra Archer caught the eye. He was energetic with the new ball and again after the interval, when he discomforted Will Jacks.
In the absence of Shoaib Bashir and with Mark Wood leaving the field, Root was asked to bowl fourteen overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 at an run rate of over eight.
Root at least took a scalp in the closing stages when Fisher unexpectedly hit a full delivery to mid-on before Archer dismissed with a bouncer Matthew Potts for fifty-three with the last delivery of the day.
