Ollie Pope Reinforces Claim to England Cricket's Number Three Spot with Bold 90 Versus Lions

It's difficult to gauge how much of the English team's practice fixture will end up being meaningful when their Ashes series contest begins not far at the Perth venue on the coming Friday – a short span in geography or duration but light years away in import and atmosphere – but if it accomplished solely strengthening Pope's confidence, that alone has made the effort beneficial.

The English side's number three batsman – that point is surely absolutely established – followed his initial innings century by adding a further 90 in the follow-up innings, and the truly notable was less about the quantity of scored runs but the style in which they were accumulated. At times the player appeared imperious, hitting a dozen boundaries and a pair of sixes, timing the ball sweetly but with aggressive intent.

It was merely a exhibition game versus a Lions squad that used a total of 11 pitchers across a game played in before a handful of people in a open field, but it was nevertheless very noteworthy. For the record, England, needing of 202 following the Lions ended their follow-on innings on 251 for six, triumphed by five wickets in hand when Jamie Smith hurried the team across the conclusion with a series of boundaries.

Crawley and Duckett, the remaining big first-innings achievers, both failed in the second knock, while Root scored several more runs – 31 on this occasion – but was not enormously more assured, prior to being confused and duly dismissed by Will Jacks. Brook met an similar end shortly after.

Bashir – who finished the game having delivered 12 overs for each side – will have faced a portion of the batting he confronted pretty hostile. His first six deliveries against the Lions went for 56, with McKinney tucking in to bowling that if not completely wayward was certainly not very threatening.

At the end the sixth of that period, England's other bowlers had allowed nearly exactly the same amount of points – 57 – from 15, though Bashir grew a slightly less giving in time, giving up 27 from his remaining six. He secured one wicket, holding a clever, low grab, diving to his right, to conclude Bethell's batting stint for 70, from 80 balls.

Jacob Bethell, making up for managing just three in the first innings, was among a trio of half-centurions in the Lions' leading batsmen. McKinney's scores from opening batsman were more reliable than those of their No 3: he notched 66 in their first innings and went two better in their second, taking 61 balls over his 50 runs, with five boundaries and two maximums, both off Bashir's's deliveries. Bethell got to 68 before a mis-hit to Stokes at cover position, who took a low grab at shin level.

Cox showed comparable steadiness, and built on his initial innings' 53 with a further 57, at about a run a ball. He produced some outstandingly elegant hits en route, including a straight drive and a hook against successive Brydon Carse deliveries to achieve his 50 runs.

After missing the first day of this fixture with a stomach upset and made just the least significant of contributions to the second day, Carse delivered brilliantly when at last provided the opportunity, with McKinney and Jordan Cox among his three dismissals.

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