Pope Cements Status to England Cricket's No 3 Slot with Strong 90 Against Lions

It is hard to determine how much of England's warm-up game will be remotely meaningful when their Ashes contest kicks off a short distance away at the Perth venue on Friday – no distance in space or time but light years away in import and mood – but if it accomplished only enhancing Pope's assurance, that on its own has rendered the exercise beneficial.

England's No 3 – this fact is undoubtedly completely certain – followed his initial innings hundred by scoring a further 90 in the second, and what was impressive was not merely the number of scored runs but the style in which they were scored. Periodically the young batsman seemed commanding, striking a twelve fours and a pair of maximums, timing the ball sweetly but with aggressive purpose.

This was only a practice match against a Lions squad that employed exactly 11 bowlers during a contest staged in amid a small group of people in a public park, but it was nonetheless extremely impressive. Officially, England, needing of 202 once the Lions declared their second innings on 251 for six, won by five wickets in hand when Jamie Smith raced the team over the finish line with a series of boundaries.

Zak Crawley and Duckett, the two other big first-innings' successes, both fell short in the second knock, while Joe Root scored additional runs – 31 on this occasion – but was not significantly more assured, then being bemused and accordingly out by Jacks. Brook experienced an same outcome soon afterwards.

Bashir – who ended the fixture having delivered 12 overs for both teams – will have found some of the hitting he confronted rather challenging. His opening six deliveries against the Lions went for 56, with Ben McKinney feasting to deliveries that if not entirely poor was certainly far from intimidating.

After the sixth spell of those overs, the English side's other pitchers had conceded almost precisely the equivalent amount of runs – 57 – from 15, though Bashir grew a somewhat less giving later on, conceding 27 from his remaining six. He claimed a single wicket, making a sharp, low grab, diving to his right, to end Bethell's batting stint for 70, from 80 balls.

Jacob Bethell, redeeming managing merely a small score in the opening knock, was a member of three players with fifties in the Lions team's top four. Ben McKinney's performances from opener were more consistent than those from their No 3: he scored 66 in their first batting effort and went two better in their second, taking 61 balls for his fifty, with five and two sixes, both against Bashir's's bowling. Bethell reached 68 before a mis-hit to Stokes at cover, who made a bending grab at low down.

Jordan Cox showed like reliability, and followed his first-innings 53 with another 57, at just over a run a ball. He produced some exceptionally elegant shots en route, including a straight drive and a pull from consecutive Carse deliveries to achieve his 50 runs.

After missing the initial day of this match with a stomach upset and provided just the smallest of contributions to the second day, Brydon Carse delivered superbly when finally provided the chance, with Ben McKinney and Cox part of his three wickets.

This report may be updated