Pope Reinforces Status to England's Number Three Slot with Bold 90 Against Lions

It's tough to gauge how much of England's preparatory game will end up being relevant when their Ashes series battle begins not far at the Perth venue on Friday – a short span in geography or duration but light years away in importance and environment – but if it managed nothing more than strengthening Pope's self-belief, that on its own has rendered the effort beneficial.

England's No 3 – that point is undoubtedly absolutely certain – built on his first-innings century by adding a further 90 in the second innings, and the truly impressive was less about the quantity of runs but the style in which they were made. On occasion the 27-year-old seemed commanding, smashing a dozen boundaries and a pair of sixes, hitting the ball perfectly but with fierce intent.

This was merely a exhibition game against a England Lions side that used exactly 11 bowlers across a game held in before a few dozen of people in a open field, but it was nonetheless very praiseworthy. Officially, the England team, chasing of 202 following the Lions closed their second innings on 251 for six, won by five wickets in hand once Jamie Smith sped the team across the winning target with a series of fours and sixes.

Zak Crawley and Duckett, the other two major first-innings successes, both were dismissed in the second knock, while Joe Root made additional points – 31 on this instance – but was not enormously more assured, before being bemused and accordingly out by Jacks. Harry Brook met an similar end shortly after.

Shoaib Bashir – who ended the fixture having bowled 12 bowling spells for both teams – will have found a portion of the hitting he bowled to rather aggressive. His opening six deliveries against the Lions cost 56, with Ben McKinney tucking in to deliveries that if not entirely poor was surely not overly intimidating.

At the end the sixth over of those deliveries, England's remaining three bowlers had given away almost precisely the identical total of points – 57 – from 15, though the bowler grew a little less leaky as time passed, conceding 27 from his last six. He secured one wicket, taking a sharp, diving catch, diving to his right, to finish Jacob Bethell's knock for 70, from 80 deliveries.

Bethell, redeeming managing just three in the first innings, was among a trio of half-centurions in the Lions team's top four. McKinney's returns from opener were more consistent than the scores of their No 3: he scored 66 in their first innings and scored 68 in their second, facing 61 balls for his half-century, with five fours and a couple six-hit shots, both from Bashir's bowling. Bethell reached 68 prior to a mishit to Ben Stokes at cover position, who made a bending catch at low down.

Cox showed similar steadiness, and built on his first-innings 53 with a further 57, at slightly more than a run per delivery. He produced some remarkably elegant shots on the way, including a drive down the ground and a pull shot off successive Brydon Carse balls to achieve his 50 runs.

After missing the initial day of this fixture with a illness and made merely the smallest of inputs to the second day, Carse delivered brilliantly when eventually given the opportunity, with McKinney and Jordan Cox included in his three scalps.

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