Pope Reinforces Status to England's Number Three Role with Bold 90 Versus Lions

It is tough to know how significant of England's practice fixture will end up being meaningful when their Ashes series campaign starts not far at the Perth venue on the coming Friday – no distance in geography or duration but ages away in significance and mood – but if it managed solely boosting Ollie Pope's confidence, that by itself has rendered the exercise beneficial.

The English side's number three batsman – that much is surely absolutely clear – built on his initial innings century by scoring another 90 in the second innings, and the most remarkable was not merely the total of scored runs but the way in which they were scored. On occasion the young batsman appeared commanding, smashing a twelve fours and a couple of sixes, timing the ball beautifully but with aggressive determination.

This was just a friendly versus a England Lions squad that employed a total of 11 pitchers during a contest staged in amid a small group of onlookers in a local ground, but it was nevertheless extremely praiseworthy. For the record, the England team, chasing of 202 once the Lions declared their follow-on innings on 251 for six, won by five wickets in hand when Smith raced the team past the conclusion with a series of fours and sixes.

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, the other two significant first-innings' achievers, both failed in the follow-up, while Joe Root scored several more runs – 31 on this time – but was not significantly more convincing, prior to being puzzled and subsequently out by Jacks. Brook experienced an same outcome shortly after.

Shoaib Bashir – who concluded the fixture having delivered 12 overs for both teams – will have encountered some of the hitting he faced quite hostile. His first six overs against the Lions cost 56, with McKinney taking advantage to bowling that if not exactly wayward was certainly not very threatening.

After the sixth spell of that period, England's remaining three bowlers had given away almost precisely the equivalent number of points – 57 – from 15, though Bashir turned a little less giving as time passed, conceding 27 from his remaining six. He took one wicket, taking a sharp, low grab, leaning to his right, to conclude Bethell's knock for 70, off 80 balls.

Bethell, compensating for managing merely three runs in the first innings, was a member of a trio of fifty-scorers in the Lions team's top order. McKinney's performances from opening batsman were more consistent than those from their No 3: he made 66 in their initial knock and scored 68 in their second innings, taking 61 deliveries over his 50 runs, with five fours and two sixes, each off Bashir's deliveries. Jacob Bethell made 68 then a poor shot to Ben Stokes at cover position, who held a stooping catch at low down.

Jordan Cox exhibited like reliability, and built on his first-innings 53 with a further 57, at about a run per delivery. There were a few outstandingly beautiful strokes during his innings, featuring a straight hit and a hook against consecutive Brydon Carse balls to achieve his half century.

Following his absence from the initial day of this fixture with a stomach issue and provided merely the smallest of efforts to the follow-up, Brydon Carse bowled excellently when finally provided the opportunity, with Ben McKinney and Cox included in his three scalps.

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