Tour game, Lilac Hill (first day of three)
Development squad 382: Will Jacks 84, McKinney 67; Stokes 6-52
England XI: yet to bat
The England captain produced six wickets in his initial appearance after July but the tourists encountered an injury concern regarding fast bowler Wood on the first day of their Test preparation against the development squad in Perth.
The England captain, returning after almost four months out with a shoulder problem, bowled sixteen overs across three spells for his six for fifty-two versus England Lions – each to catches taken on the leg side.
Pace bowler Mark Wood, also making his comeback after nine months away with a knee problem, delivered a scheduled amount of 8 overs before departing the field in the post-lunch session because of a hamstring issue. He will have a scan on Friday.
The Wood situation sucked the intensity out of the day, as the England Lions were bowled out for 382 on a slow track after an automatic toss at the venue.
England wanted to field first to accumulate bowling time before the first Ashes Test at the main venue, starting on 21 November.
In a potential indication towards their opening Test strategy, the tourists fielded an all-pace attack – four specialist bowlers plus the captain – and left spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in the Lions.
Jacob Bethell didn't strengthen his claim for selection in the Test team, making only two, but Will Jacks enhanced his credentials to be called upon later in the tour by swiping 84.
Ben McKinney, Cox, teenage Thomas Rew and Potts also made fifties.
The team's decision to play a single warm-up game against the development squad has been criticized by some former players but the captain responded by calling the critics "former players".
A low-pressure opening day in front of a smattering of fans at the ground was definitely a world away from what England will encounter at a packed main stadium next week.
The captain was superb in the contest against the Indian team in the domestic season, only to push himself to breaking point. He was absent from the final Test with a shoulder tear.
The captain has not managed a complete participation in any of the team's past four series because of different fitness issues and the tourists' hopes of winning back the series are significantly reduced if he misses any of the five Tests in the host country.
He has been practicing at maximum speed for 60 days and looked in fine shape on Wednesday, even if he could not believe the way in which some of his dismissals were presented.
Will Jacks is not expected to play in the first Test – the team look to have revealed their intentions with the eleven named here. Nevertheless, he may have nudged himself ahead of the struggling Bethell with his 84, 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 opening day because of sickness, with his place going to Tongue. Josh Tongue had Lions opener Ben McKinney caught behind just after lunch.
Though the captain took the wickets, Jofra Archer impressed observers. He was lively with the fresh ball and once more after the interval, when he caused problems for Will Jacks.
In the omission of Bashir and with Wood leaving the field, Joe Root was required to deliver fourteen overs of his spin bowling. It was average performance, conceding 117 at an run rate of over eight.
Root at least took a scalp in the final session when Fisher somehow struck a full delivery to the fielder before Jofra Archer bounced out Potts for fifty-three with the final ball of the day.
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