Ollie Pope Reinforces Status to England's Number Three Spot with Impressive 90 Against Lions

It is tough to determine how much of the English team's warm-up fixture will prove important when their Ashes series contest begins not far at Perth Stadium on Friday – a brief gap in geography or duration but worlds away in significance and environment – but if it accomplished solely enhancing Ollie Pope's assurance, that by itself has made the effort valuable.

The English side's number three batsman – that point is undoubtedly completely established – followed his initial innings hundred by adding an additional 90 in the follow-up innings, and what was remarkable was less about the number of runs but the style in which they were accumulated. On occasion the 27-year-old appeared imperious, smashing a twelve fours and a two of maximums, hitting the ball sweetly but with devilish determination.

It was only a practice match against a England Lions squad that employed fully 11 bowlers throughout a game played in amid a small group of people in a open field, but it was nevertheless hugely noteworthy. For the record, England, needing of 202 once the Lions declared their second innings on 251 for six, won by a margin of five wickets after Smith raced the team over the conclusion with a flurry of fours and sixes.

Crawley and Ben Duckett, the remaining major first-innings' successes, both fell short in the second knock, while Joe Root added further points – 31 on this occasion – but was not enormously more assured, prior to being confused and subsequently bowled by Jacks. Harry Brook met an same end soon afterwards.

Shoaib Bashir – who finished the game having bowled 12 bowling spells for each side – will have found part of the hitting he faced quite aggressive. His first six overs against the Lions conceded 56, with Ben McKinney feasting to bowling that if not completely loose was surely not very threatening.

After the sixth spell of those deliveries, the English side's three other pitchers had conceded roughly the identical number of runs – 57 – from 15, though the bowler grew a somewhat less giving in time, conceding 27 from his remaining six. He secured one wicket, taking a smart, low snare, diving to his right, to end Bethell's innings for 70, facing 80 balls.

Bethell, redeeming managing just a small score in the opening knock, was among three fifty-scorers in the Lions' top order. McKinney's returns from opener were more consistent than those from their No 3: he scored 66 in their initial knock and improved by two in their second, facing 61 deliveries to reach his half-century, with five fours and two six-hit shots, both from Bashir's deliveries. Bethell got to 68 before a poor shot to Ben Stokes at cover position, who held a stooping grab at low down.

Cox showed similar consistency, and backed up his initial innings' 53 with an additional 57, at about a run per delivery. There were a few exceptionally handsome strokes during his innings, such as a straight drive and a hook against successive Brydon Carse deliveries to reach his fifty.

Having missed the first day of this game with a illness and made just the most minor of contributions to the second day, Carse pitched excellently when finally given the chance, with Ben McKinney and Jordan Cox included in his three dismissals.

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