Ollie Pope Strengthens Claim to England's Number Three Spot with Impressive 90 Against Lions

It's hard to gauge how significant of England's preparatory game will prove important when their Ashes campaign begins not far at Perth Stadium on the coming Friday – a short span in geography or duration but ages away in import and mood – but if it accomplished nothing more than strengthening Ollie Pope's confidence, that by itself has made the exercise beneficial.

England's No 3 – this fact is surely totally established – built on his initial innings hundred by notching an additional 90 in the second innings, and what was notable was not merely the quantity of runs but the manner in which they were accumulated. At times the player looked imperious, striking a dozen boundaries and a pair of maximums, hitting the ball perfectly but with aggressive intent.

This was only a exhibition game versus a Lions side that employed exactly 11 bowlers throughout a contest held in amid a handful of people in a local ground, but it was still hugely impressive. To note, England, set a target of 202 following the Lions closed their second innings on 251 for six, succeeded by five wickets after Jamie Smith sped the team over the winning target with a stream of fours and sixes.

Zak Crawley and Duckett, the two other significant first-innings' performers, both failed in the follow-up, while Joe Root added several more runs – 31 on this occasion – but was not significantly more convincing, before being bemused and accordingly bowled by Will Jacks. Brook experienced an identical fate shortly after.

Bashir – who concluded the fixture having bowled 12 overs for each side – will have found some of the strokes he bowled to rather challenging. His opening six deliveries against the Lions cost 56, with McKinney taking advantage to bowling that if not completely poor was surely not very dangerous.

After the sixth of those overs, England's other bowlers had conceded roughly the equivalent amount of points – 57 – from 15, though Bashir became a slightly less leaky later on, conceding 27 from his final six. He secured a single wicket, holding a clever, diving snare, diving to his right side, to end Bethell's batting stint for 70, facing 80 balls.

Bethell, redeeming scoring just a small score in the opening knock, was among three fifty-scorers in the Lions team's top order. McKinney's returns from opening batsman were more consistent than those of their No 3: he made 66 in their initial knock and scored 68 in their second, using 61 deliveries for his 50 runs, with five fours and two six-hit shots, both from Bashir's deliveries. Bethell made 68 before a poor shot to Ben Stokes at cover position, who made a stooping catch at ankle height.

Jordan Cox displayed similar consistency, and backed up his initial innings' 53 with a further 57, at just over a run a ball. There were several remarkably handsome hits en route, such as a drive down the ground and a pull against back-to-back Carse deliveries to achieve his fifty.

After missing the first day of this match with a stomach issue and contributed only the least significant of contributions to the second day, Carse pitched excellently when finally given the chance, with Ben McKinney and Jordan Cox part of his three scalps.

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