Pope Reinforces Status to England's No 3 Slot with Strong 90 Versus Lions

It is hard to know how much of the English team's preparatory match will prove important when their Ashes campaign kicks off a short distance away at the Perth venue on the coming Friday – no distance in geography or duration but ages away in importance and environment – but if it accomplished nothing more than enhancing Pope's self-belief, that on its own has made the effort worthwhile.

The English side's No 3 – that point is surely totally clear – built on his initial innings century by scoring an additional 90 in the follow-up innings, and the most notable was less about the quantity of scored runs but the manner in which they were accumulated. Periodically the player appeared dominant, hitting a twelve fours and a couple of maximums, hitting the ball perfectly but with devilish determination.

This was only a friendly against a England Lions side that employed a total of 11 pitchers across a contest staged in before a small group of spectators in a local ground, but it was still hugely impressive. For the record, England, set a target of 202 after the Lions ended their follow-on innings on 251 for six, triumphed by five wickets once Smith sped the team across the finish line with a stream of boundaries.

Crawley and Ben Duckett, the remaining big first-innings' performers, both fell short in the follow-up, while Root added additional runs – 31 on this time – but was not significantly more assured, prior to being confused and accordingly bowled by Jacks. Brook met an same end a little later.

Bashir – who ended the match having bowled 12 overs for both teams – will have encountered some of the batting he bowled to quite aggressive. His initial six overs against the Lions cost 56, with Ben McKinney feasting to pitching that if not exactly wayward was surely not overly threatening.

At the end the sixth spell of that period, England's remaining three bowlers had given away roughly the same number of runs – 57 – from 15, though Bashir turned a slightly less leaky later on, allowing 27 from his remaining six. He secured one wicket, making a sharp, low-down catch, falling to his right, to end Bethell's knock for 70, off 80 balls.

Bethell, making up for managing only three in the initial innings, was a member of a trio of fifty-scorers in the Lions' top four. McKinney's performances from opener were more reliable than those of their No 3: he made 66 in their first batting effort and scored 68 in their second innings, facing 61 deliveries to reach his 50 runs, with five boundaries and a couple six-hit shots, both against Bashir's bowling. Bethell got to 68 before a mishit to Ben Stokes at cover, who made a low grab at ankle height.

Jordan Cox displayed like consistency, and backed up his initial innings' 53 with an additional 57, at slightly more than a run a ball. He produced several exceptionally elegant hits during his innings, featuring a drive down the ground and a hook against consecutive Brydon Carse deliveries to attain his 50 runs.

Having missed the opening day of this match with a illness and provided merely the smallest of contributions to the follow-up, Brydon Carse pitched brilliantly when finally provided the chance, with Ben McKinney and Jordan Cox included in his three scalps.

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