Pope Strengthens Status to England Cricket's No 3 Role with Bold 90 Versus Lions

It is hard to know how relevant of the English team's preparatory match will prove meaningful when their Ashes series contest begins not far at the Perth venue on Friday – a short span in geography or duration but worlds away in significance and atmosphere – but if it managed only strengthening Pope's confidence, that alone has rendered the effort beneficial.

England's number three batsman – that point is certainly totally established – built on his first-innings hundred by notching a further 90 in the second, and what was impressive was not so much the quantity of runs but the manner in which they were accumulated. At times the young batsman seemed dominant, smashing a twelve boundaries and a pair of sixes, hitting the ball sweetly but with devilish purpose.

This was only a practice match against a England Lions squad that used a total of 11 pitchers throughout a contest held in front of a handful of onlookers in a open field, but it was nonetheless very impressive. For the record, the England team, needing of 202 once the Lions ended their follow-on innings on 251 for six, succeeded by a margin of five wickets once Jamie Smith hurried the team across the conclusion with a stream of fours and sixes.

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, the other two significant first-innings successes, both failed in the second innings, while Root added further runs – 31 on this time – but was far from more assured, prior to being puzzled and subsequently dismissed by Will Jacks. Brook suffered an identical outcome soon afterwards.

Bashir – who concluded the fixture having bowled 12 overs for either team – will have faced some of the strokes he confronted rather aggressive. His opening six deliveries against the Lions cost 56, with McKinney feasting to deliveries that if not entirely loose was surely not very intimidating.

At the end the sixth spell of that period, England's three other pitchers had allowed almost precisely the equivalent number of points – 57 – from 15, though Bashir grew a slightly less generous as time passed, allowing 27 from his last six. He secured one wicket, taking a sharp, low snare, falling to his right, to conclude Bethell's batting stint for 70, off 80 deliveries.

Jacob Bethell, making up for scoring only three in the opening knock, was among three players fifty-scorers in the Lions' leading batsmen. Ben McKinney's returns from opening batsman were steadier than those of their number three: he notched 66 in their initial knock and went two better in their second, facing 61 deliveries over his fifty, with five fours and two maximums, both off Bashir's pitching. Bethell got to 68 then a poor shot to Ben Stokes at cover, who took a bending grab at ankle height.

Jordan Cox exhibited similar steadiness, and backed up his first-innings 53 with an additional 57, at about a run a ball. There were a few outstandingly handsome shots en route, featuring a drive down the ground and a hook from back-to-back Carse balls to reach his half century.

Having missed the first day of this fixture with a illness and provided just the smallest of efforts to the second day, Carse pitched brilliantly when at last provided the opportunity, with McKinney and Jordan Cox included in his three dismissals.

This report will update