Stokes Takes Six Wickets In England Ashes Warm-up

Tour match, Lilac Hill (day 1 of three)

England Lions 382: Jacks 84, McKinney 67; Stokes 6-52

England XI: yet to bat

Scorecard

England skipper Ben Stokes took six wickets connected nan opening time of his side's solitary warm-up lucifer earlier nan Ashes originates adjacent week.

Stokes, returning aft almost 4 months retired pinch a enarthrosis injury, bowled 16 overs crossed 3 spells for his 6-52 against England Lions – each to catches connected nan limb side.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, himself returning aft 9 months retired pinch a knee injury, bowled a pre-planned number of 8 overs earlier leaving nan section successful nan day convention because of a hamstring problem. He will person a scan connected Friday.

Wood's wounded sucked nan strength retired of nan day, arsenic nan Lions were bowled retired for 382 connected a slow, debased aboveground aft an uncontested flip astatine Lilac Hill.

England wanted to section first to get overs successful their legs earlier nan first Ashes Test astatine Optus Stadium, opening connected 21 November.

In a imaginable hint towards their first-Test plans, nan visitors fielded an all-pace onslaught – 4 specialists positive Stokes – and near off-spinner Shoaib Bashir successful nan Lions.

Jacob Bethell grounded to property his lawsuit for inclusion successful nan Test side, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his declare to beryllium called upon later successful nan circuit by swiping 84.

Ben McKinney, Jordan Cox, 17-year-old Thomas Rew and Matthew Potts besides made half-centuries.

England's scheme to play a solitary warm-up crippled against nan Lions has been questioned by immoderate erstwhile players but Stokes deed backmost by calling nan critics "has-beens".

A relaxed opening time successful beforehand of a smattering of spectators astatine Lilac Hill was surely a world distant from what England will look astatine a sold-out Optus Stadium adjacent week.

Music played from nan dressing rooms each time and England squad expert Rupert Lewis ran nan drinks. After Bethell was dismissed batting for nan Lions, he acted arsenic a sub fielder for England. The visitors were taxable to nan occasional heckle from nan location supporters.

One logic England play a constricted number of warm-up matches is nan trouble of replicating Test conditions. The achingly slow transportation astatine a nine crushed is astir apt not nan champion mentation for playing astatine nan Optus.

Wood's wounded is simply a immense concern. England scheme for him to vessel again connected Saturday, but that will surely dangle connected nan results of Friday's scan.

As ever, nan headliner was Stokes. Even successful specified low-key surroundings, he re-affirmed his position arsenic England's talisman.

Stokes was superb successful nan bid against India successful nan location summer, only to push himself to breaking point. He missed nan last Test pinch a torn shoulder.

The skipper has not managed a afloat portion successful immoderate of England's past 4 bid because of various injuries and nan tourists' hopes of regaining nan Ashes are vastly diminished if he misses immoderate of nan 5 Tests successful Australia.

He has been bowling astatine afloat gait for 2 months and looked successful good style connected Wednesday, moreover if he could not judge nan measurement successful which immoderate of his wickets were gifted.

From first-change, Stokes had a spell successful each convention of nan day. He had Lions skipper Tom Haines miscue to mid-on pinch nan 5th shot he bowled past Bethell, who spent 15 balls connected nought, pulled to quadrate leg.

Cox sparkled for his 53 only to find Wood astatine agelong limb successful Stokes' day stint. Rehan Ahmed fell successful almost identical fashion.

When Stokes returned precocious successful nan day, Tom Lawes picked retired Ollie Pope successful nan leg-side ringing earlier nan fierce Jacks recovered Jofra Archer astatine good leg.

Jacks is improbable to characteristic successful nan first Test – England look to person revealed their manus pinch nan XI named here. Still, he whitethorn person nudged himself up of nan out-of-sorts Bethell pinch his 84, which came astatine almost a tally a ball.

Even earlier nan uncertainty complete Wood, nan 5 seamers successful nan England XI for this crippled whitethorn not person been nan onslaught for nan first Test.

Brydon Carse missed nan first time because of illness, pinch his spot going to Josh Tongue. Tongue had Lions opener McKinney caught down conscionable aft lunch.

Though Stokes took nan wickets, Archer caught nan eye. He was lively pinch nan caller shot and again aft lunch, erstwhile he discomforted Jacks.

In nan absence of Bashir and pinch Wood leaving nan field, Joe Root was asked to vessel 14 overs of his off-spin. It was mediocre fare, costing 117 runs astatine an system of much than eight.

Root astatine slightest claimed a wicket successful nan closing stages erstwhile Matt Fisher someway deed a afloat flip to mid-on earlier Archer bounced retired Potts for 53 pinch nan last shot of nan day.