Ollie Pope Cements Position to England's No 3 Spot with Strong 90 Versus Lions

It is tough to gauge how significant of England's warm-up match will be remotely relevant when their Ashes series contest kicks off a short distance away at the Perth venue on Friday – a brief gap in space or time but ages away in importance and atmosphere – but if it achieved only enhancing Ollie Pope's assurance, that by itself has made the effort worthwhile.

England's number three batsman – this fact is surely absolutely established – followed his first-innings century by adding another 90 in the follow-up innings, and what was notable was not merely the quantity of runs but the style in which they were scored. On occasion the young batsman appeared dominant, striking a twelve fours and a pair of maximums, timing the ball sweetly but with devilish purpose.

This was merely a practice match against a England Lions team that used fully 11 pitchers during a contest played in front of a handful of people in a public park, but it was still very praiseworthy. To note, England, set a target of 202 once the Lions declared their second innings on 251 for six, won by five wickets once Jamie Smith raced the team over the finish line with a series of boundaries.

Crawley and Duckett, the other two major first-innings achievers, both were dismissed in the second knock, while Root made several more points – 31 on this instance – but was not significantly more convincing, prior to being confused and duly dismissed by Will Jacks. Harry Brook experienced an similar fate shortly after.

Shoaib Bashir – who finished the match having delivered 12 bowling spells for both teams – will have faced part of the batting he confronted quite aggressive. His initial six overs versus the Lions went for 56, with McKinney taking advantage to bowling that if not entirely wayward was surely not very dangerous.

By the conclusion the sixth spell of those deliveries, England's remaining three pitchers had allowed roughly the equivalent amount of runs – 57 – from 15, though the bowler became a somewhat less leaky as time passed, allowing 27 from his final six. He secured a single wicket, taking a clever, diving snare, falling to his right, to end Bethell's innings for 70, from 80 deliveries.

Jacob Bethell, redeeming achieving just three runs in the first innings, was one of a trio of half-centurions in the Lions team's top order. McKinney's scores from opening batsman were steadier than those of their number three: he scored 66 in their first batting effort and improved by two in their follow-up, facing 61 deliveries over his half-century, with five fours and two six-hit shots, the pair off Bashir's pitching. Jacob Bethell made 68 before a mis-hit to Ben Stokes at cover, who took a stooping grab at shin level.

Cox showed like reliability, and built on his first-innings 53 with an additional 57, at slightly more than a run per delivery. There were some remarkably handsome strokes on the way, such as a straight hit and a hook off successive Carse deliveries to reach his fifty.

Following his absence from the first day of this match with a stomach issue and contributed only the most minor of inputs to the follow-up, Brydon Carse bowled excellently when finally afforded the chance, with Ben McKinney and Jordan Cox included in his three wickets.

This report may be updated