Ollie Pope Strengthens Status to England Cricket's Number Three Role with Impressive 90 Versus Lions

It's tough to gauge how much of England's practice match will prove relevant when their Ashes battle starts not far at Perth Stadium on Friday – a brief gap in space or time but light years away in import and atmosphere – but if it achieved only enhancing Pope's assurance, that on its own has rendered the exercise valuable.

The English side's number three batsman – that much is surely completely established – followed his initial innings hundred by adding a further 90 in the second, and what was remarkable was less about the total of scored runs but the manner in which they were scored. On occasion the 27-year-old looked imperious, smashing a twelve boundaries and a pair of sixes, connecting with the ball beautifully but with fierce intent.

This was just a exhibition game versus a Lions squad that used fully 11 bowlers during a game staged in amid a few dozen of people in a open field, but it was still hugely praiseworthy. Officially, the England team, needing of 202 after the Lions declared their follow-on innings on 251 for six, won by five wickets once Smith sped the team over the winning target with a stream of fours and sixes.

Crawley and Duckett, the remaining significant first-innings' successes, both failed in the follow-up, while Joe Root scored additional points – 31 on this occasion – but was far from more convincing, prior to being bemused and accordingly dismissed by Will Jacks. Brook experienced an same end soon afterwards.

Bashir – who concluded the game having delivered 12 bowling spells for both teams – will have found part of the strokes he faced rather aggressive. His opening six overs against the Lions went for 56, with McKinney tucking in to pitching that if not completely loose was certainly far from intimidating.

After the sixth of that period, England's other pitchers had allowed almost precisely the same number of points – 57 – from 15, though the bowler grew a somewhat less giving later on, conceding 27 from his remaining six. He secured one dismissal, making a clever, low grab, leaning to his right, to finish Jacob Bethell's innings for 70, off 80 deliveries.

Jacob Bethell, making up for scoring merely a small score in the initial innings, was among three players with fifties in the Lions' top order. Ben McKinney's performances from opener were steadier than the scores of their No 3: he scored 66 in their first batting effort and scored 68 in their follow-up, facing 61 balls for his half-century, with five boundaries and a couple sixes, both from Bashir's pitching. Bethell made 68 then a mis-hit to Ben Stokes at cover position, who made a low catch at ankle height.

Cox displayed similar consistency, and followed his first-innings 53 with another 57, at about a run a ball. He produced some remarkably beautiful shots during his innings, featuring a straight drive and a pull against successive Brydon Carse deliveries to attain his 50 runs.

Following his absence from the opening day of this fixture with a illness and provided just the most minor of contributions to the second, Brydon Carse pitched superbly when eventually given the chance, with McKinney and Cox included in his three scalps.

This report may be updated