Ollie Pope Strengthens Status to England Cricket's No 3 Spot with Bold 90 Against Lions

It's tough to know how relevant of the English team's warm-up fixture will prove relevant when their Ashes series campaign starts not far at Perth Stadium on the coming Friday – no distance in geography or duration but worlds away in importance and atmosphere – but if it achieved solely strengthening Pope's assurance, that by itself has rendered the effort worthwhile.

England's No 3 – this fact is surely completely clear – built on his first-innings century by notching a further 90 in the follow-up innings, and the most notable was less about the total of scored runs but the manner in which they were accumulated. On occasion the young batsman appeared commanding, smashing a dozen fours and a two of maximums, hitting the ball sweetly but with aggressive purpose.

This was merely a exhibition game versus a Lions squad that used exactly 11 pitchers during a contest played in amid a few dozen of spectators in a public park, but it was nonetheless hugely praiseworthy. To note, England, needing of 202 following the Lions ended their second innings on 251 for six, triumphed by five wickets in hand when Jamie Smith sped the team across the finish line with a series of boundaries.

Crawley and Duckett, the remaining significant first-innings performers, both were dismissed in the second innings, while Joe Root scored several more points – 31 on this instance – but was far from more convincing, prior to being bemused and duly bowled by Will Jacks. Brook suffered an same fate soon afterwards.

Bashir – who concluded the fixture having bowled 12 overs for either team – will have faced a portion of the hitting he bowled to rather hostile. His initial six deliveries against the Lions went for 56, with McKinney feasting to deliveries that if not exactly poor was certainly not very dangerous.

At the end the sixth spell of those deliveries, the English side's other bowlers had allowed roughly the same amount of points – 57 – from 15, though the bowler became a little less leaky in time, conceding 27 from his last six. He secured one wicket, taking a smart, diving grab, falling to his right, to finish Bethell's innings for 70, facing 80 deliveries.

Jacob Bethell, making up for achieving only three in the opening knock, was a member of three half-centurions in the Lions team's top order. McKinney's scores 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, using 61 balls over his half-century, with five fours and a couple maximums, both against Bashir's bowling. Bethell made 68 before a mis-hit to Stokes at cover position, who made a stooping catch at low down.

Cox displayed comparable steadiness, and followed his first-innings 53 with an additional 57, at about a run per delivery. There were a few exceptionally handsome hits during his innings, including a straight hit and a pull shot off consecutive Carse balls to reach his fifty.

Following his absence from the opening day of this match with a stomach issue and provided only the least significant of contributions to the follow-up, Brydon Carse pitched superbly when eventually afforded the opportunity, with McKinney and Cox part of his three dismissals.

This report may be updated