Ollie Pope Reinforces Position to England Cricket's Number Three Slot with Impressive 90 Versus Lions

It's hard to know how much of the English team's practice match will end up being meaningful when their Ashes contest begins a short distance away at the Perth venue on the coming Friday – a brief gap in space or time but ages away in import and atmosphere – but if it accomplished nothing more than boosting Pope's assurance, that on its own has made the effort beneficial.

The English side's number three batsman – this fact is undoubtedly absolutely established – built on his first-innings ton by scoring another 90 in the second innings, and the truly notable was not merely the number of scored runs but the style in which they were accumulated. At times the 27-year-old looked dominant, smashing a twelve fours and a two of sixes, timing the ball perfectly but with aggressive determination.

It was merely a practice match against a England Lions side that deployed exactly 11 pitchers throughout a contest played in before a handful of spectators in a local ground, but it was nonetheless hugely impressive. Officially, the England team, needing of 202 once the Lions declared their second innings on 251 for six, won by five wickets after Jamie Smith sped the team across the finish line with a series of boundaries.

Zak Crawley and Duckett, the two other big first-innings performers, both were dismissed in the second innings, while Root added several more points – 31 on this instance – but was not significantly more dominant, then being puzzled and subsequently out by Jacks. Brook experienced an same end a little later.

Shoaib Bashir – who ended the match having delivered 12 bowling spells for each side – will have found part of the batting he confronted quite aggressive. His first six deliveries versus the Lions cost 56, with McKinney tucking in to bowling that if not entirely loose was definitely not very intimidating.

After the sixth over of those overs, the English side's other pitchers had allowed almost precisely the same amount of points – 57 – from 15, though the bowler became a somewhat less leaky later on, giving up 27 from his final six. He claimed a single wicket, taking a sharp, low-down catch, falling to his right side, to conclude Bethell's innings for 70, off 80 balls.

Bethell, making up for scoring merely three in the opening knock, was a member of three players with fifties in the Lions' top order. McKinney's performances from opening batsman were more consistent than those from their number three: he made 66 in their first batting effort and scored 68 in their second, using 61 balls for his half-century, with five boundaries and two six-hit shots, both from Bashir's pitching. Bethell reached 68 then a mishit to Stokes at cover, who made a bending grab at low down.

Jordan Cox displayed comparable steadiness, and followed his first-innings 53 with another 57, at just over a run a ball. He produced some remarkably elegant hits during his innings, such as a drive down the ground and a hook from successive Brydon Carse balls to attain his half century.

Following his absence from the initial day of this match with a stomach upset and provided only the smallest of inputs to the follow-up, Brydon Carse pitched brilliantly when eventually given the shot, with Ben McKinney and Cox part of his three dismissals.

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