England has completed its only pre-Ashes warm-up game with a flurry of runs, defeating an England Lions side by five wickets at Lilac Hill on Saturday. Chasing 202 for victory, England reached the target in 34.4 overs, with Ollie Pope smashing 90 off 67 balls, including 12 fours and two sixes.
Pope's second impressive innings of the match, following his first-innings century, has all but secured his place at number three for the first Test in Perth, starting Friday. Joe Root, who made just one in the first innings, posted 31 off 52 balls as he seeks his first Test century in Australia.
Veteran paceman Mark Wood received positive news on the injury front after scans cleared him of any damage to his left hamstring. Wood experienced tightness on Thursday after bowling his eighth over and did not bowl on Saturday, but he is expected to train next week in a bid to prove his fitness for the first Test.
Jofra Archer, who returned match figures of 1-66 from 17.3 overs, looms as a more likely option for the opening Test. Spinner Shoaib Bashir's hopes of selection were dealt a blow after he took 1-83 from 12 overs.
England's first-innings total of 426 was built on Pope's 100, Ben Duckett's 92, Zak Crawley's 82 and Ben Stokes' 77. The pace attack struggled without Wood on Saturday, with Brydon Carse the only bowler to enjoy much success, taking 3-65.
