Ollie Pope Cements Position to England Cricket's Number Three Role with Strong 90 Against Lions

It's tough to gauge how relevant of the English team's preparatory game will prove meaningful when their Ashes series campaign kicks off not far at Perth Stadium on Friday – no distance in geography or duration but worlds away in importance and environment – but if it accomplished only strengthening Pope's self-belief, that on its own has rendered the endeavor worthwhile.

The English side's No 3 – that much is undoubtedly absolutely certain – built on his initial innings ton by notching a further 90 in the follow-up innings, and what was impressive was not merely the number of runs but the way in which they were accumulated. Periodically the 27-year-old looked commanding, smashing a dozen boundaries and a pair of sixes, timing the ball sweetly but with devilish purpose.

This was merely a exhibition game versus a England Lions squad that deployed a total of 11 pitchers throughout a contest played in front of a small group of spectators in a public park, but it was nonetheless extremely praiseworthy. Officially, England, set a target of 202 after the Lions closed their follow-on innings on 251 for six, triumphed by five wickets in hand after Smith hurried the team over the winning target with a flurry of boundaries.

Crawley and Duckett, the remaining big first-innings' successes, both were dismissed in the follow-up, while Root added additional runs – 31 on this time – but was not significantly more dominant, then being confused and subsequently dismissed by Jacks. Brook suffered an same fate shortly after.

Bashir – who ended the match having delivered 12 overs for both teams – will have encountered part of the strokes he confronted rather challenging. His opening six deliveries versus the Lions conceded 56, with Ben McKinney taking advantage to bowling that if not completely loose was surely not very dangerous.

After the sixth over of those overs, England's remaining three bowlers had conceded almost precisely the equivalent number of points – 57 – from 15, though the bowler grew a little less leaky as time passed, conceding 27 from his final six. He secured a single wicket, taking a smart, diving snare, diving to his right side, to finish Bethell's batting stint for 70, facing 80 deliveries.

Jacob Bethell, compensating for achieving only three runs in the initial innings, was one of three players fifty-scorers in the Lions' leading batsmen. Ben McKinney's scores from opener were more reliable than those of their number three: he scored 66 in their initial knock and went two better in their second, taking 61 balls to reach his 50 runs, with five and a couple six-hit shots, each against Bashir's pitching. Jacob Bethell reached 68 prior to a poor shot to Ben Stokes at cover position, who took a low grab at low down.

Jordan Cox showed similar reliability, and followed his initial innings' 53 with a further 57, at just over a scoring rate of one. He played a few outstandingly handsome hits on the way, including a straight hit and a pull shot against successive Brydon Carse balls to attain his half century.

Following his absence from the initial day of this game with a stomach issue and made just the smallest of inputs to the follow-up, Carse pitched excellently when finally given the opportunity, with McKinney and Cox part of his three scalps.

This report may be updated