England’s coaching group have all but confirmed that Ollie Pope will walk out first drop in next week’s Ashes opener at Optus Stadium, regardless of what unfolds in Thursday’s three-day hit-out against the Lions.
The warm-up, staged at Lilac Hill on the outskirts of Perth, is being pitched as full-blooded rather than friendly. Harry Brook explained that the tone was set during Tuesday’s training session. “That was partly what Baz and Stokesy said,” Brook told England’s social channels. “We’re going hard. We’re going to go 100%. We’re going to try and beat them. I think we’re going to be selecting an XI and playing against another XI, so it’s not going to be just a mess-around… It’s good preparation playing against some of the best players in England ahead of the Ashes.”
Even so, assistant coach Marcus Trescothick suggested selection for the opening Test is close to settled. Asked who will bat No. 3, he replied: “I’m presuming the same sort of No. 3 we’ve had for a period of time,” before adding, “I can only say we are a very consistent team in what we’re trying to do.”
Pope’s place has come under scrutiny since Jacob Bethell reeled off three fifties on debut in New Zealand last year. The vice-captaincy switch from Pope to Brook last month heightened speculation that a change could be coming. Yet Trescothick downplayed the idea that one standout performance this week would trigger a rethink. “It’s definitely not going to change dramatically before the start of an Ashes series because someone puts their hand up by taking five wickets or gets 150,” he said. “The team has been what it has been for a period of time for a reason, so that when you come to big series, you are more settled and confident going into it.”
Conditions at Lilac Hill contrast sharply with what is expected at Optus Stadium, something Brook was quick to acknowledge. “It’s completely different here, if I’m being brutally honest,” he said. [The pitches] are slow and low here. It’s going to be slightly different to the Optus, but we’ve got three or four days before that first Test where we can utilise [those] pitches… It’s a perfect opportunity in this game to try and get some time out in the middle and use it wisely.”
England have been training on the club wicket since arriving in Western Australia, easing jet-lag and reacquainting themselves with local bounce. The Lions, carrying an 18-man squad, will offer variation in both seam and spin, giving the senior side a look at fringe talent and bench depth.
Analysis
Consistency has been Ben Stokes’s watchword since inheriting the captaincy. Picking Pope again at No. 3 would fit that theme, signalling faith in a player who averages 38 in the role and is widely regarded as one of the dressing-room’s sharper cricket minds. Bethell may have impressed early, but his left-handed stroke-play is arguably better suited to the middle order on harder Australian pitches. England also value Pope’s close-catching at bat-pad, an asset likely to be tested against Australia’s right-hand heavy top order.
For the bowlers, selection appears equally stable. James Anderson, Chris Woakes and Ollie Robinson have banked overs in the nets, while Mark Wood’s pace offers the point of difference that England prize on the faster Perth surface. Unless injury intervenes, the warm-up is more about rhythm than rivalry.
In short, Thursday’s fixture should sharpen edges rather than reshape plans. England’s XI for Perth is close to inked, with Pope at three the clearest sign that continuity still trumps experimentation eight days out from the Ashes.
