England’s final warm-up match before the Ashes series delivered a mixed bag of performances, with Ollie Pope’s assured century contrasting sharply with the early failures of key batters Joe Root and Harry Brook.
Facing the England Lions at Lilac Hill, the senior side posted 426 all out, securing a first-innings lead of 51. Pope, batting at number three, anchored the innings with a composed hundred before being bowled immediately after reaching the milestone. His effort outshone opening batters Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, who fell in the 80s and 90s respectively, and captain Ben Stokes, who contributed a brisk 77.
However, the day was notable for the struggles of two of England’s premier players. Former captain Joe Root, whose record in Australia has been under scrutiny, managed just a single run from 12 deliveries before miscuing a pull shot. Harry Brook fared only marginally better, scoring two before charging down the pitch, missing the ball completely, and seeing his stumps shattered.
The Lions attack, featuring several bowlers from the main Ashes squad, shared the wickets. Matt Potts recovered from an expensive start to finish with two, while Jacob Bethell claimed three late scalps as England’s lower order accelerated.
Off the field, the main concern surrounded the fitness of fast bowler Mark Wood, who watched from the sidelines with a strapped leg awaiting a scan on his hamstring. There was a brief scare when spinner Shoaib Bashir went down clutching his leg in the field, but he was able to resume play.
With the first Test in Brisbane now less than a week away, the match provided valuable time in the middle for some, but left unanswered questions about the form of England’s star middle-order as they head into the series.