Ollie Pope made a century as the majority of England’s top order spent valuable time in the middle in their Ashes warm-up game, though Joe Root and Harry Brook missed out in what might be their final innings before the first Test.
Ben Duckett made 92 and Zak Crawley 82 in an opening stand of 182, while Pope and captain Ben Stokes shared 137 for the fifth wicket on the second day of three in Perth.
In between the two sizable partnerships, England lost four wickets for 16 runs – both Root and Brook out in soft fashion.
Much talk in the Australian media has centred on Root’s lack of a Test century in this country and his preparations were curtailed when he hooked Matthew Potts to mid-wicket for one.
Brook’s innings was awful, showing disdain for this kind of exercise. In his first 15 deliveries, Brook twice danced down to the seamers and attempted a T20-style scoop. From his 16th, Brook again advanced at paceman Nathan Gilchrist and ended outside leg stump as the ball hit off. He was out for two.
Pope took his chance with a measured 100, securing his place in the team for the first Test against Australia on 21 November.
Stokes was similarly patient for his 84, gradually finding a rhythm to his batting after almost four months out with a shoulder injury.
England were bowled out for 426 in response to the Lions’ 375 – a total corrected by the scorers from the original 382 posted on day one.
Mark Wood was at Lilac Hill with the left hamstring that suffered tightness on the opening day heavily strapped. England are awaiting the results of a scan that took place on Friday afternoon.
The good…
Lilac Hill has a placid surface, far removed from what England can expect to face at Optus Stadium next week.
The value of these preparations will only be revealed in time, but time in the middle is never a bad thing and Pope led the list of England batters who grasped the opportunity.
Duckett should have been caught at first slip by Ben McKinney on six off the impressive Potts. Reprieved, Duckett and opening partner Crawley rattled along at more than six runs an over in the morning session.
Following the slump at the beginning of the afternoon session, Pope and Stokes respected the chance for match practice.
Any suggestion Pope may have been under pressure from Jacob Bethell was ended by Bethell making only two for the Lions on Thursday. A criticism of Pope is that he is often too skittish in Test cricket, but this innings was a calm one – albeit in gentle surroundings.
Stokes has regularly skipped warm-up matches in the past, though he needed this run-out following his spell on the sidelines. He was watchful for his half-century, taking 92 deliveries to reach 50, then opened his shoulders to clobber 34 off his next 19 before being dismissed by Shoaib Bashir.
One other positive for England was the performance of Potts, who is in the Ashes squad despite playing this game for the Lions.
Realistically, Potts is bottom of the pecking order in England’s six Ashes seamers, though his chances of playing a Test have increased with the doubt over Wood.
He was comfortably the best of the seamers on display and bowled better than figures of 3-66 suggest.
… the bad
England will bowl again on Saturday and may now wonder about the chance of Root to bat once more.
Pivotal to England’s Ashes hopes and under scrutiny because of his record in Australia, Root did not pass 25 in the three one-day internationals in New Zealand. His dismissal was uncharacteristic, possibly fuelled by the slow pitch. Root had faced only 12 balls when he fetched a hook at Potts to Lions captain Tom Haines.
If Brook, now England’s vice-captain, bats like he did on Friday there would be little point in him having another knock on Saturday. It was not the “balls to the wall” intensity Stokes promised from his team before this match began.
Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith was another to miss out on batting time, pushing a return catch back to Gilchrist for six.
A further concern was the bowling of Ashes spinners Bashir and Will Jacks. Both men are in the Lions as England look to be favouring an all-pace attack for the first Test.
Doubts over Wood could result in a re-think, but neither Bashir nor Jacks enhanced their claim. Bashir went at almost a run a ball in his 12 overs, while Jacks is feeling his way back from a broken finger and returned 1-61 from his 10 overs.
