Ollie Pope Strengthens Status to England's Number Three Slot with Bold 90 Against Lions

It's tough to know how significant of the English team's warm-up fixture will be remotely meaningful when their Ashes series battle starts not far at the Perth venue on Friday – a short span in space or time but light years away in import and environment – but if it accomplished nothing more than boosting Pope's self-belief, that alone has rendered the exercise beneficial.

The English side's No 3 – this fact is undoubtedly absolutely certain – followed his first-innings ton by scoring a further 90 in the second innings, and what was remarkable was not merely the total of scored runs but the way in which they were accumulated. Periodically the player seemed imperious, striking a twelve boundaries and a pair of sixes, timing the ball sweetly but with devilish purpose.

It was only a exhibition game versus a Lions squad that deployed exactly 11 bowlers throughout a match played in before a handful of spectators in a local ground, but it was still hugely impressive. Officially, England, set a target of 202 after the Lions closed their follow-on innings on 251 for six, triumphed by a margin of five wickets after Jamie Smith hurried the team past the conclusion with a stream of fours and sixes.

Zak Crawley and Duckett, the other two major first-innings' successes, both failed in the second knock, while Root scored additional points – 31 on this occasion – but was not significantly more assured, prior to being puzzled and duly out by Will Jacks. Harry Brook experienced an same fate soon afterwards.

Bashir – who ended the game having bowled 12 bowling spells for each side – will have encountered some of the batting he bowled to pretty hostile. His first six deliveries against the Lions conceded 56, with Ben McKinney taking advantage to pitching that if not completely loose was surely far from threatening.

After the sixth over of that period, the English side's remaining three bowlers had conceded nearly exactly the same amount of points – 57 – from 15, though Bashir became a little less giving later on, allowing 27 from his last six. He took one wicket, taking a smart, diving catch, diving to his right side, to finish Bethell's knock for 70, off 80 balls.

Jacob Bethell, making up for managing just three in the first innings, was among a trio of fifty-scorers in the Lions team's top order. Ben McKinney's returns from opening batsman were steadier than the scores of their No 3: he scored 66 in their first batting effort and improved by two in their follow-up, taking 61 deliveries for his fifty, with five boundaries and two six-hit shots, each from Bashir's bowling. Jacob Bethell made 68 prior to a poor shot to Ben Stokes at cover position, who took a bending catch at ankle height.

Jordan Cox showed similar steadiness, and built on his first-innings 53 with an additional 57, at slightly more than a run per delivery. He played a few exceptionally beautiful strokes during his innings, including a drive down the ground and a pull against back-to-back Brydon Carse balls to reach his fifty.

Having missed the opening day of this game with a illness and made only the smallest of contributions to the follow-up, Brydon Carse bowled excellently when eventually provided the opportunity, with McKinney and Jordan Cox included in his three wickets.

This report may be updated