Pope Cements Status to England's No 3 Role with Impressive 90 Versus Lions

It's hard to know how relevant of England's practice fixture will end up being relevant when their Ashes series battle starts a short distance away at Perth Stadium on the coming Friday – a short span in space or time but light years away in importance and environment – but if it accomplished solely boosting Pope's assurance, that on its own has rendered the effort valuable.

England's number three batsman – that point is undoubtedly absolutely established – built on his initial innings century by notching a further 90 in the second innings, and what was remarkable was not merely the total of runs but the way in which they were made. At times the young batsman looked imperious, smashing a dozen fours and a couple of maximums, timing the ball sweetly but with fierce determination.

It was only a practice match against a Lions team that deployed a total of 11 pitchers throughout a game held in before a small group of spectators in a public park, but it was nonetheless hugely praiseworthy. To note, the England team, set a target of 202 after the Lions closed their second innings on 251 for six, won by five wickets in hand after Smith sped the team over the finish line with a series of fours and sixes.

Crawley and Duckett, the remaining significant first-innings performers, both were dismissed in the second knock, while Joe Root scored additional runs – 31 on this occasion – but was far from more dominant, then being puzzled and duly bowled by Will Jacks. Brook experienced an same fate a little later.

Shoaib Bashir – who concluded the match having delivered 12 bowling spells for either team – will have encountered part of the hitting he faced rather challenging. His first six overs versus the Lions went for 56, with Ben McKinney tucking in to pitching that if not entirely loose was definitely not overly dangerous.

At the end the sixth over of that period, England's three other pitchers had given away almost precisely the equivalent number of runs – 57 – from 15, though Bashir became a little less generous as time passed, conceding 27 from his remaining six. He secured one dismissal, taking a smart, low-down grab, falling to his right side, to finish Bethell's batting stint for 70, from 80 balls.

Bethell, redeeming scoring only a small score in the initial innings, was among three fifty-scorers in the Lions' top order. Ben McKinney's performances from opening batsman were steadier than those from their number three: he notched 66 in their first innings and went two better in their second, taking 61 deliveries over his fifty, with five boundaries and two sixes, the pair off Bashir's pitching. Bethell got to 68 before a mishit to Stokes at cover position, who held a stooping grab at shin level.

Jordan Cox exhibited comparable reliability, and built on his initial innings' 53 with a further 57, at just over a scoring rate of one. He produced several outstandingly handsome strokes on the way, including a drive down the ground and a hook from consecutive Brydon Carse balls to attain his half century.

After missing the first day of this fixture with a stomach upset and contributed only the smallest of efforts to the second day, Brydon Carse bowled excellently when at last afforded the shot, with Ben McKinney and Jordan Cox part of his three wickets.

This report may be updated