Ben Stokes cleaned up England’s back-up team. But it might have been cricket’s worst six-wicket haul

3 weeks ago 3

An exasperated Ben Stokes could not believe what he was witnessing as he claimed what an English Test great described as the weirdest six-wicket haul he had ever seen.

On an afternoon when pace ace Mark Wood was hurt, Stokes was the standout bowler with 6-52 for England on day one of their three-day warm-up clash against the English Lions at Lilac Hill in Perth on Thursday.

But footage released by the English and Wales Cricket Board of his dismissals has called into question why the tourists have played such inexperienced opposition in their only practice match before next week’s first Test against Australia at Optus Stadium.

Stokes was left in disbelief – and wasn’t afraid to show his emotions publicly – when all six of his wickets came from half-track deliveries which were caught on the leg-side.

“That’s the weirdest five-fer I’ve ever seen,” English fast-bowling legend Stuart Broad wrote in reply to England cricket’s Instagram post.

Stokes had his head in his hands after four of the dismissals, such was the frustration he experienced at witnessing such poor batting from a line-up hailed as England’s next generation under Lions coach and Ashes great Andrew Flintoff.

Ben Stokes looking sheepish after claiming one of his six wickets against the next-generation England team.

Footage shows Stokes standing in disbelief for several seconds, before giving a high-five to passing teammates, after the left-handed Jacob Bethell was caught at square leg by Jofra Archer.

The England captain resumed a similar pose when the right-handed Tom Lawes was dismissed for a duck, spooning a catch to Ollie Pope at mid-wicket.

Stokes even had his head in both of hands, then opened his hands as if to say: “What was that?” to teammate Joe Root, before dropping his hands to his hips in a stunned tea-cup pose after all-rounder Will Jacks flicked a mid-tracker and was caught by Archer in the fine-leg region.

Jacks, who top scored with 84 in the Lions’ 382, was also flummoxed by his own poor shot, holding that pose for a brief moment.

Mark Wood bowled eight overs in England’s practice match against the Lions on Thursday in Perth.

England could argue that these dismissals highlight why the developing Lions are here – because they need to experience Australian pitches and learn to deal with a rising ball.

Stokes’ half-trackers could be a tactic he uses against Australia on what is likely to be an Optus Stadium deck with more pace and bounce than Lilac Hill. But it’s also likely he doesn’t expect the home team’s top-order to fall to such inept shots, raising the question – as English supporters have done on social media in response to these six dismissals – why did the tourists opt against playing an Australian state XI in a serious match?

England great Ian Botham has repeatedly said the tourists should have had a tougher preparation by playing a state side, describing their current schedule as “bordering on arrogance”.

Like England’s former all-rounder, Ian Botham, Stokes has an uncanny knack of taking wickets with deliveries that appear innocuous.

However, former Australian batsman Simon Katich says England’s decision could work in their favour, for it has not given any Australians the chance to poke holes in their game first-hand in local conditions.

As the warm-up match continues, the tourists are awaiting the results of a precautionary scan on Wood’s stiff left hamstring.

The speedster, 35, complained of an issue on Thursday, having taken 0-29 from eight overs, spread over two four-over spells, before leaving the field.

A team spokesman said on Friday the results of the scans may not be known until Saturday.

While the board’s initial statement on Thursday said Wood was expected to bowl again on Saturday, the London Telegraph reported he was likely to miss the Perth Test.

If he does miss, Wood’s absence would be a major blow, for he is arguably the tourists’ most dangerous bowler. His express pace and ability to extract dangerous bounce make him a pivotal player in this series, particularly if he could pair with fellow pace ace Archer in a fearsome new-ball pairing, as Stokes had flagged.

Of his 37 Tests, 11 have been against Australia, for 41 wickets at 27.48.

However, Wood’s career has been marred by injury, this match his first competitive fixture since February due to persistent injury problems.

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