Pope Strengthens Status to England Cricket's No 3 Spot with Impressive 90 Against Lions

It is hard to determine how much of England's practice fixture will end up being meaningful when their Ashes series campaign kicks off 10km away at the Perth venue on the coming Friday – no distance in geography or duration but worlds away in import and mood – but if it accomplished only strengthening Ollie Pope's assurance, that alone has rendered the exercise valuable.

England's number three batsman – that much is surely absolutely certain – followed his initial innings century by adding a further 90 in the second, and the truly remarkable was not so much the total of runs but the style in which they were made. Periodically the young batsman seemed commanding, striking a twelve boundaries and a pair of maximums, timing the ball sweetly but with aggressive purpose.

This was merely a exhibition game versus a England Lions side that employed fully 11 pitchers throughout a game staged in before a few dozen of people in a open field, but it was still very impressive. To note, England, chasing of 202 once the Lions ended their follow-on innings on 251 for six, won by a margin of five wickets when Smith raced the team over the conclusion with a stream of fours and sixes.

Crawley and Duckett, the two other major first-innings' achievers, both fell short in the follow-up, while Joe Root added several more points – 31 on this occasion – but was far from more assured, prior to being confused and accordingly dismissed by Jacks. Harry Brook experienced an identical end a little later.

Bashir – who finished the game having bowled 12 overs for each side – will have encountered some of the batting he faced pretty challenging. His initial six overs against the Lions went for 56, with McKinney feasting to bowling that if not completely loose was certainly far from threatening.

By the conclusion the sixth over of those deliveries, the English side's other bowlers had allowed nearly exactly the equivalent total of runs – 57 – from 15, though the bowler turned a little less generous later on, allowing 27 from his last six. He took a single wicket, holding a smart, low-down grab, leaning to his right, to end Bethell's innings for 70, off 80 balls.

Bethell, making up for managing merely three in the first innings, was a member of three players players with fifties in the Lions' top four. Ben McKinney's scores from opener were steadier than those from their No 3: he made 66 in their first batting effort and improved by two in their second innings, facing 61 balls to reach his fifty, with five fours and two sixes, the pair against Bashir's's bowling. Bethell made 68 before a mishit to Stokes at cover, who took a bending catch at shin level.

Cox showed comparable consistency, and built on his initial innings' 53 with a further 57, at about a run per delivery. There were some outstandingly elegant shots en route, featuring a drive down the ground and a pull against consecutive Brydon Carse balls to attain his half century.

Following his absence from the opening day of this match with a stomach issue and made only the smallest of efforts to the second day, Brydon Carse pitched excellently when at last given the chance, with McKinney and Jordan Cox part of his three wickets.

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