Ollie Pope Strengthens Claim to England's Number Three Role with Impressive 90 Versus Lions
It's hard to gauge how relevant of the English team's preparatory game will end up being meaningful when their Ashes campaign begins 10km away at Perth Stadium on the coming Friday – a brief gap in geography or duration but worlds away in importance and mood – but if it achieved only strengthening Ollie Pope's self-belief, that on its own has made the effort beneficial.
The English side's No 3 – that much is certainly absolutely clear – built on his initial innings hundred by notching a further 90 in the second, and the truly notable was less about the number of scored runs but the style in which they were scored. On occasion the young batsman looked commanding, hitting a dozen fours and a two of sixes, timing the ball perfectly but with devilish intent.
It was just a practice match versus a Lions team that employed fully 11 bowlers during a game held in before a handful of onlookers in a open field, but it was nevertheless hugely noteworthy. To note, the England team, needing of 202 following the Lions declared their follow-on innings on 251 for six, succeeded by five wickets after Smith sped the team past the finish line with a series of boundaries.
Zak Crawley and Duckett, the other two major first-innings' successes, both failed in the second knock, while Root scored several more runs – 31 on this instance – but was far from more dominant, prior to being confused and duly dismissed by Jacks. Brook experienced an similar fate soon afterwards.
Bashir – who concluded the fixture having bowled 12 bowling spells for each side – will have encountered some of the batting he confronted rather challenging. His opening six overs versus the Lions conceded 56, with Ben McKinney taking advantage to pitching that if not entirely loose was definitely not very threatening.
After the sixth over of that period, England's remaining three bowlers had conceded almost precisely the same total of runs – 57 – from 15, though Bashir grew a somewhat less generous later on, giving up 27 from his last six. He claimed a single wicket, holding a clever, diving grab, leaning to his right, to finish Jacob Bethell's knock for 70, off 80 deliveries.
Jacob Bethell, making up for scoring just a small score in the initial innings, was one of three half-centurions in the Lions' top order. McKinney's performances from opening batsman were more reliable than the scores of their No 3: he scored 66 in their first batting effort and went two better in their second innings, taking 61 deliveries over his 50 runs, with five fours and a couple sixes, the pair off Bashir's's pitching. Bethell made 68 before a poor shot to Ben Stokes at cover position, who made a low catch at shin level.
Jordan Cox showed comparable consistency, and backed up his first-innings 53 with another 57, at just over a run per delivery. There were some outstandingly elegant strokes on the way, including a straight drive and a pull against back-to-back Brydon Carse balls to achieve his half century.
After missing the opening day of this game with a stomach upset and provided merely the most minor of inputs to the follow-up, Carse pitched brilliantly when eventually provided the chance, with McKinney and Jordan Cox part of his three wickets.
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