Pope Cements Position to England's Number Three Role with Bold 90 Versus Lions

It is difficult to gauge how much of the English team's practice game will end up being meaningful when their Ashes contest starts not far at the Perth venue on Friday – a short span in space or time but worlds away in importance and mood – but if it managed solely boosting Pope's assurance, that on its own has rendered the exercise valuable.

England's number three batsman – that much is undoubtedly completely certain – built on his first-innings hundred by scoring another 90 in the second, and the truly notable was less about the quantity of scored runs but the manner in which they were accumulated. On occasion the young batsman seemed commanding, striking a dozen boundaries and a couple of maximums, connecting with the ball perfectly but with fierce purpose.

It was just a practice match versus a England Lions squad that employed a total of 11 bowlers throughout a game played in before a small group of spectators in a open field, but it was nevertheless hugely noteworthy. For the record, the England team, needing of 202 after the Lions closed their follow-on innings on 251 for six, triumphed by five wickets in hand once Smith sped the team past the finish line with a stream of boundaries.

Crawley and Ben Duckett, the two other major first-innings achievers, both fell short in the second innings, while Joe Root made further runs – 31 on this time – but was not significantly more assured, then being bemused and accordingly out by Will Jacks. Brook met an identical end a little later.

Bashir – who concluded the fixture having bowled 12 overs for both teams – will have found a portion of the batting he bowled to quite aggressive. His first six deliveries against the Lions went for 56, with McKinney taking advantage to bowling that if not completely poor was certainly not overly intimidating.

After the sixth spell of those overs, England's remaining three pitchers had given away roughly the same number of points – 57 – from 15, though Bashir grew a little less generous in time, allowing 27 from his last six. He claimed one wicket, taking a clever, low-down grab, diving to his right side, to finish Bethell's knock for 70, facing 80 deliveries.

Bethell, redeeming achieving just three runs in the initial innings, was a member of a trio of half-centurions in the Lions' leading batsmen. McKinney's performances from opener were steadier than the scores of their number three: he scored 66 in their first batting effort and went two better in their follow-up, facing 61 deliveries to reach his fifty, with five boundaries and a couple maximums, both from Bashir's bowling. Jacob Bethell reached 68 then a mis-hit to Stokes at cover position, who held a stooping grab at ankle height.

Cox showed comparable steadiness, and followed his first-innings 53 with another 57, at about a scoring rate of one. There were a few remarkably beautiful shots en route, featuring a straight hit and a pull against successive Brydon Carse deliveries to reach his fifty.

Having missed the first day of this match with a stomach upset and contributed just the smallest of inputs to the second day, Brydon Carse bowled brilliantly when finally provided the opportunity, with McKinney and Cox among his three wickets.

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