Ollie Pope Reinforces Position to England's No 3 Spot with Impressive 90 Versus Lions

It's tough to gauge how significant of the English team's preparatory match will end up being meaningful when their Ashes campaign starts not far at Perth Stadium on Friday – no distance in space or time but light years away in significance and atmosphere – but if it managed nothing more than enhancing Pope's self-belief, that by itself has made the endeavor beneficial.

The English side's No 3 – this fact is certainly absolutely established – built on his first-innings ton by adding another 90 in the second innings, and the truly remarkable was not so much the quantity of scored runs but the style in which they were accumulated. On occasion the player seemed dominant, striking a twelve fours and a two of sixes, connecting with the ball perfectly but with aggressive intent.

It was merely a practice match versus a England Lions side that deployed exactly 11 pitchers across a game held in front of a few dozen of people in a local ground, but it was still extremely impressive. Officially, England, needing of 202 following the Lions ended their follow-on innings on 251 for six, won by five wickets in hand when Smith hurried the team across the finish line with a flurry of fours and sixes.

Crawley and Ben Duckett, the two other big first-innings' performers, both fell short in the follow-up, while Root added several more runs – 31 on this occasion – but was far from more assured, then being confused and accordingly out by Will Jacks. Harry Brook experienced an same fate shortly after.

Bashir – who finished the fixture having bowled 12 overs for each side – will have faced a portion of the batting he bowled to quite hostile. His first six overs versus the Lions went for 56, with Ben McKinney taking advantage to pitching that if not completely loose was definitely not very threatening.

After the sixth of those overs, England's other bowlers had given away nearly exactly the same amount of points – 57 – from 15, though Bashir turned a slightly less giving in time, giving up 27 from his last six. He claimed a single wicket, taking a clever, low catch, diving to his right, to finish Bethell's innings for 70, off 80 deliveries.

Bethell, making up for achieving only three in the opening knock, was among a trio of half-centurions in the Lions team's leading batsmen. Ben McKinney's performances from opener were steadier than those from their No 3: he notched 66 in their first innings and improved by two in their second innings, using 61 deliveries for his half-century, with five and two six-hit shots, both off Bashir's bowling. Jacob Bethell got to 68 prior to a mis-hit to Ben Stokes at cover position, who held a low catch at shin level.

Cox showed similar steadiness, and built on his first-innings 53 with a further 57, at about a run per delivery. He produced several outstandingly elegant hits en route, including a drive down the ground and a pull from back-to-back Carse balls to achieve his 50 runs.

Following his absence from the opening day of this game with a stomach issue and provided only the least significant of efforts to the second day, Brydon Carse bowled excellently when at last afforded the shot, with Ben McKinney and Cox included in his three dismissals.

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