Pope Cements Position to England Cricket's Number Three Slot with Impressive 90 Against Lions

It's tough to know how significant of the English team's warm-up game will prove relevant when their Ashes contest kicks off not far at the Perth venue on Friday – no distance in geography or duration but light years away in significance and mood – but if it accomplished nothing more than enhancing Pope's assurance, that on its own has made the endeavor worthwhile.

England's number three batsman – this fact is surely completely certain – followed his initial innings ton by notching another 90 in the second, and the most impressive was not merely the number of scored runs but the manner in which they were accumulated. On occasion the young batsman appeared imperious, smashing a dozen fours and a pair of sixes, timing the ball sweetly but with aggressive intent.

This was just a exhibition game versus a England Lions side that used exactly 11 bowlers during a match staged in amid a small group of spectators in a local ground, but it was nevertheless hugely impressive. For the record, England, needing of 202 after the Lions ended their second innings on 251 for six, succeeded by five wickets in hand after Jamie Smith hurried the team over the finish line with a series of fours and sixes.

Zak Crawley and Duckett, the remaining big first-innings' performers, both fell short in the second knock, while Joe Root scored further points – 31 on this occasion – but was not significantly more dominant, prior to being puzzled and accordingly dismissed by Will Jacks. Harry Brook experienced an same fate soon afterwards.

Bashir – who concluded the fixture having delivered 12 bowling spells for either team – will have encountered part of the strokes he bowled to quite challenging. His first six deliveries versus the Lions went for 56, with McKinney taking advantage to deliveries that if not exactly wayward was certainly far from dangerous.

At the end the sixth over of those deliveries, England's three other bowlers had given away almost precisely the same amount of runs – 57 – from 15, though Bashir turned a slightly less leaky later on, giving up 27 from his final six. He took one wicket, holding a smart, diving grab, diving to his right side, to conclude Bethell's innings for 70, from 80 deliveries.

Jacob Bethell, making up for achieving only three in the initial innings, was one of three players half-centurions in the Lions' top order. Ben McKinney's scores from opening batsman were more consistent than those from their number three: he notched 66 in their first batting effort and scored 68 in their second, taking 61 deliveries for his fifty, with five and a couple maximums, each from Bashir's pitching. Bethell got to 68 prior to a mis-hit to Ben Stokes at cover position, who took a stooping grab at ankle height.

Jordan Cox showed like consistency, and followed his first-innings 53 with another 57, at just over a run per delivery. He played several remarkably elegant shots on the way, including a straight hit and a pull shot from consecutive Carse balls to attain his 50 runs.

After missing the opening day of this match with a illness and provided merely the smallest of inputs to the second, Carse pitched brilliantly when eventually given the opportunity, with Ben McKinney and Jordan Cox among his three scalps.

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