Ollie Pope Strengthens Position to England Cricket's No 3 Role with Impressive 90 Against Lions

It's hard to know how significant of the English team's preparatory match will end up being relevant when their Ashes contest kicks off 10km away at Perth Stadium on the coming Friday – a short span in space or time but worlds away in import and environment – but if it managed only enhancing Pope's confidence, that on its own has made the effort beneficial.

The English side's number three batsman – that point is undoubtedly completely clear – followed his initial innings hundred by adding another 90 in the follow-up innings, and the most notable was less about the number of runs but the way in which they were made. Periodically the young batsman looked imperious, striking a dozen fours and a pair of sixes, connecting with the ball perfectly but with aggressive intent.

It was only a friendly against a Lions side that used a total of 11 pitchers throughout a match played in before a handful of onlookers in a open field, but it was still hugely noteworthy. Officially, the England team, needing of 202 following the Lions ended their second innings on 251 for six, triumphed by a margin of five wickets when Smith sped the team across the conclusion with a series of boundaries.

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, the remaining significant first-innings successes, both were dismissed in the second knock, while Joe Root scored further runs – 31 on this instance – but was not significantly more dominant, prior to being confused and duly bowled by Will Jacks. Harry Brook met an same fate soon afterwards.

Shoaib Bashir – who finished the fixture having delivered 12 bowling spells for each side – will have encountered part of the hitting he confronted rather hostile. His opening six overs against the Lions cost 56, with McKinney tucking in to pitching that if not completely loose was surely far from intimidating.

After the sixth spell of that period, England's three other bowlers had conceded roughly the equivalent number of points – 57 – from 15, though Bashir became a somewhat less giving later on, conceding 27 from his last six. He claimed a single wicket, making a smart, diving catch, diving to his right, to end Bethell's knock for 70, off 80 deliveries.

Bethell, redeeming scoring just three runs in the opening knock, was among three half-centurions in the Lions' leading batsmen. Ben McKinney's returns from opening batsman were more reliable than those of their No 3: he notched 66 in their first innings and scored 68 in their second innings, facing 61 balls over his 50 runs, with five and two maximums, the pair off Bashir's deliveries. Bethell got to 68 before a mishit to Stokes at cover position, who held a low grab at low down.

Cox displayed similar consistency, and followed his first-innings 53 with an additional 57, at slightly more than a run a ball. He played some exceptionally elegant hits en route, such as a straight drive and a hook from back-to-back Brydon Carse balls to achieve his fifty.

Following his absence from the first day of this match with a stomach upset and provided just the most minor of efforts to the second, Carse bowled brilliantly when finally provided the opportunity, with McKinney and Jordan Cox part of his three dismissals.

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