Ollie Pope Cements Claim to England Cricket's Number Three Role with Impressive 90 Against Lions

It is difficult to know how much of the English team's practice fixture will be remotely relevant when their Ashes contest starts not far at Perth Stadium on Friday – no distance in space or time but worlds away in significance and mood – but if it managed only strengthening Ollie Pope's self-belief, that alone has rendered the effort valuable.

England's number three batsman – that much is undoubtedly completely certain – followed his initial innings ton by adding an additional 90 in the second, and the truly remarkable was not merely the total of scored runs but the style in which they were accumulated. At times the 27-year-old appeared imperious, striking a twelve boundaries and a couple of sixes, connecting with the ball perfectly but with fierce intent.

This was merely a exhibition game against a England Lions team that employed exactly 11 pitchers throughout a contest staged in before a handful of people in a open field, but it was nonetheless very praiseworthy. Officially, the England team, needing of 202 after the Lions ended their second innings on 251 for six, triumphed by five wickets when Jamie Smith hurried the team past the conclusion with a series of fours and sixes.

Crawley and Duckett, the other two significant first-innings' achievers, both were dismissed in the second knock, while Root made further points – 31 on this instance – but was not significantly more convincing, prior to being bemused and subsequently bowled by Jacks. Harry Brook met an identical outcome a little later.

Bashir – who concluded the game having bowled 12 bowling spells for both teams – will have faced part of the batting he faced rather hostile. His initial six deliveries against the Lions cost 56, with McKinney feasting to deliveries that if not exactly loose was surely not very dangerous.

After the sixth of those overs, England's remaining three bowlers had given away almost precisely the same total of runs – 57 – from 15, though Bashir became a slightly less generous as time passed, conceding 27 from his remaining six. He secured a single wicket, making a smart, low-down catch, falling to his right side, to conclude Bethell's knock for 70, from 80 balls.

Jacob Bethell, compensating for achieving only three in the first innings, was among three players with fifties in the Lions' top four. McKinney's scores from opener were steadier than those from their No 3: he notched 66 in their initial knock and went two better in their second innings, facing 61 deliveries over his half-century, with five and two maximums, each against Bashir's bowling. Bethell reached 68 then a mishit to Stokes at cover, who took a stooping grab at ankle height.

Jordan Cox showed similar steadiness, and backed up his first-innings 53 with another 57, at slightly more than a run a ball. There were a few outstandingly elegant strokes during his innings, such as a drive down the ground and a pull off consecutive Brydon Carse balls to reach his half century.

Following his absence from the initial day of this fixture with a stomach issue and made merely the smallest of contributions to the second, Brydon Carse delivered superbly when eventually provided the opportunity, with McKinney and Jordan Cox among his three dismissals.

This report may be updated