Cricket News | Ollie Pope expected to stay as England's number three

Marcus Trescothick believes Pope will be retained at three

England’s Lead Batting Coach has suggested that Ollie Pope will keep his place as number three for the Ashes, describing the tourists as “very consistent” in their selection.

Author | Peter Jones

England face the Lions in their only warm-up match ahead of the series, which begins on 21 November, and are expected to name a side close to the one that will start the first Test in Perth.

Pope has faced pressure for his spot from 22-year-old Jacob Bethell over the past year. The Surrey batter averages 41.60 at number three, though his form has tended to dip as series wear on. During the summer he made a century in his opening innings against India but managed just one further score above 50 in his next eight innings.

When England named their Ashes squad, Pope lost the vice-captaincy to Harry Brook, a move that appeared to leave his position more uncertain. At the time, Rob Key, the director of cricket, said Pope was still the “man in possession” of the role.

READ MORE | Ashes news and stories

Bethell, a promising left-hander, hit his maiden international hundred against South Africa in September and toured New Zealand with the white-ball side last month. However, he was unable to make a strong case for selection, with a top score of just 24 in five innings.

He is expected to feature for the Lions in the warm-up, with any members of the main Ashes squad not involved for England set to join that side.

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With only one practice game before the first Test, England are eager to build intensity at Lilac Hill. Ben Stokes, who has not played since July due to a shoulder injury, is set to return in the fixture despite usually skipping warm-up matches.

Even so, Trescothick indicated that displays in Perth are unlikely to change England’s plans for the opening Test at Optus Stadium.

Trescothick also defended England's plans for before the series

Trescothick also defended England’s approach to preparation. While Ashes tours have traditionally featured several warm-up fixtures, the current regime under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum has limited overseas trips to a single tour game over the past three years.

The strategy has proved effective so far, with England winning the opening Test in all five series during that period.

Even so, some former players have questioned the approach, among them the former all-rounder Lord Ian Botham, who voiced his concerns in Melbourne on Tuesday. Botham said simply: “It's not the way I would prepare. I think historically, you have to acclimatise when you come down here. You've got to remember there's 24 million people down here, not 11. And you have to take that on board."