Pope Strengthens Position to England's No 3 Spot with Strong 90 Versus Lions

It's difficult to know how significant of England's preparatory match will be remotely meaningful when their Ashes contest kicks off not far at the Perth venue on the coming Friday – a brief gap in space or time but light years away in importance and atmosphere – but if it managed solely boosting Pope's assurance, that on its own has made the effort valuable.

England's number three batsman – this fact is surely completely certain – followed his initial innings ton by adding an additional 90 in the follow-up innings, and what was impressive was not so much the number of runs but the way in which they were scored. On occasion the 27-year-old appeared imperious, smashing a twelve boundaries and a two of maximums, timing the ball beautifully but with aggressive purpose.

This was only a friendly against a Lions squad that deployed fully 11 bowlers throughout a contest held in before a small group of onlookers in a public park, but it was still hugely impressive. Officially, England, needing of 202 following the Lions declared their follow-on innings on 251 for six, succeeded by five wickets after Smith sped the team over the winning target with a flurry of fours and sixes.

Crawley and Duckett, the remaining major first-innings successes, both fell short in the second innings, while Joe Root made several more points – 31 on this time – but was not enormously more dominant, prior to being puzzled and duly bowled by Will Jacks. Brook suffered an similar outcome shortly after.

Bashir – who finished the match having bowled 12 bowling spells for either team – will have faced part of the batting he confronted pretty hostile. His initial six deliveries versus the Lions went for 56, with McKinney taking advantage to bowling that if not exactly wayward was certainly not very threatening.

By the conclusion the sixth over of that period, the English side's other bowlers had allowed roughly the identical amount of runs – 57 – from 15, though the bowler became a little less giving as time passed, conceding 27 from his final six. He took a single wicket, making a sharp, low-down grab, diving to his right side, to conclude Jacob Bethell's innings for 70, from 80 deliveries.

Bethell, compensating for managing just three in the initial innings, was one of a trio of half-centurions in the Lions' top order. Ben McKinney's performances from opening batsman were more consistent than the scores of their number three: he made 66 in their first innings and improved by two in their follow-up, taking 61 deliveries to reach his 50 runs, with five boundaries and two maximums, the pair from Bashir's's deliveries. Bethell made 68 before a mis-hit to Stokes at cover, who took a low grab at low down.

Jordan Cox displayed comparable consistency, and built on his first-innings 53 with a further 57, at just over a run per delivery. There were a few outstandingly handsome strokes during his innings, featuring a straight hit and a hook off consecutive Carse balls to reach his fifty.

Following his absence from the opening day of this match with a stomach issue and made just the most minor of contributions to the follow-up, Carse delivered superbly when eventually given the shot, with McKinney and Cox included in his three wickets.

This report will update