Ollie Pope Strengthens Position to England Cricket's Number Three Slot with Impressive 90 Against Lions

It's tough to know how relevant of the English team's preparatory match will end up being relevant when their Ashes contest begins a short distance away at Perth Stadium on Friday – a brief gap in geography or duration but light years away in significance and mood – but if it managed only boosting Ollie Pope's self-belief, that alone has rendered the exercise worthwhile.

England's number three batsman – that much is undoubtedly absolutely certain – followed his initial innings century by scoring another 90 in the follow-up innings, and the most notable was not merely the quantity of runs but the way in which they were made. At times the young batsman seemed commanding, hitting a twelve fours and a pair of sixes, connecting with the ball beautifully but with fierce intent.

It was just a exhibition game versus a England Lions side that employed fully 11 pitchers throughout a match held in front of a handful of spectators in a public park, but it was nonetheless extremely impressive. Officially, England, needing of 202 once the Lions closed their second innings on 251 for six, triumphed by five wickets after Jamie Smith raced the team over the winning target with a series of fours and sixes.

Zak Crawley and Duckett, the remaining big first-innings' performers, both fell short in the second innings, while Root scored further runs – 31 on this occasion – but was not significantly more convincing, before being confused and duly bowled by Will Jacks. Brook met an similar end shortly after.

Bashir – who concluded the game having bowled 12 overs for each side – will have faced some of the hitting he bowled to pretty hostile. His initial six overs versus the Lions conceded 56, with McKinney taking advantage to pitching that if not exactly wayward was certainly not overly dangerous.

At the end the sixth over of that period, England's other bowlers had allowed roughly the identical amount of points – 57 – from 15, though the bowler grew a slightly less giving later on, allowing 27 from his last six. He secured one dismissal, taking a clever, low snare, leaning to his right, to finish Jacob Bethell's knock for 70, off 80 balls.

Bethell, making up for managing just three runs in the first innings, was among three players fifty-scorers in the Lions team's leading batsmen. Ben McKinney's returns from opening batsman were steadier than those from their No 3: he made 66 in their initial knock and went two better in their second innings, taking 61 balls for his fifty, with five fours and a couple six-hit shots, each from Bashir's's bowling. Bethell made 68 then a mishit to Ben Stokes at cover position, who took a low catch at ankle height.

Cox exhibited like consistency, and followed his initial innings' 53 with an additional 57, at about a run per delivery. He produced several outstandingly handsome hits on the way, such as a straight drive and a hook off back-to-back Brydon Carse deliveries to achieve his half century.

After missing the initial day of this match with a illness and made merely the smallest of inputs to the second day, Carse bowled brilliantly when at last provided the opportunity, with Ben McKinney and Jordan Cox included in his three wickets.

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