The two leading Test batsmen in the world missed a valuable opportunity to fine-tune their skills ahead of the Ashes during a high-scoring day at Lilac Hill.

Yorkshire duo Joe Root and Harry Brook, who currently hold the top two spots in the ICC batting rankings, failed to make an impact, both falling for single-digit scores. This match was anticipated to be their sole chance to bat before confronting Australia’s bowling attack in the upcoming first Test.

Root arrived in Australia with the ambition of adding an Ashes century to his impressive career achievements. However, his recent form has been less than inspiring. In a limited-overs series in New Zealand two weeks ago, Root managed just 29 runs across three innings, and he continued to struggle against the England Lions.

Having had minimal time at the crease leading up to this match, Root’s contribution was a mere one run off twelve balls. This was less than ideal as the England innings eventually surpassed the Lions’ total of 375 in the evening session. Root, who has a point to prove after three previous Test tours of Australia, surely hoped for a better start.

With such limited preparation for the five-Test series, Brook’s early dismissal was particularly concerning.

Joe Root failed in England’s Ashes warm-up as he was out for just one against the Lions

Harry Brook also flunked his chance to pick up some form amid an extremely chaotic innings

Having survived a curious attempt to scoop off former county team-mate Matthew Fisher – the ball dropping short of a return chance for the Surrey bowler – he played a shot that did little to quell Australian ribbing about the knockabout nature of England’s warm-up fixture.

With just two to his name, England vice-captain Brook ran down the pitch in Nathan Gilchrist’s first over and under-edged into off-stump.

There is no doubting Brook’s quality as an international player, given his average of 57.55 and career record of 10 Test hundreds.

But dismissals like the one that reduced England to 198 for four draw attention to his poor record here. Although he is yet to play Test or one-day international cricket, he averages just 9.85 in nine Twenty20 internationals on Australian soil and managed just 6.28 in seven innings for Hobart Hurricanes prior to becoming an international.

England’s opening pair of Crawley and Duckett made the most of the morning session when the pitch was at its quickest, with the latter threading a succession of boundaries through the cordon, including one that found its way between first and second slip at catchable height off Potts.

They had put on 140 by lunch and had taken their stand to 182 when Potts – luckless in his new-ball burst of 5-0-40-0 – claimed the first of three wickets, Duckett caught behind following a switch of ends.

‘I always enjoy batting with Ducky, he looked in great touch, and hopefully we will do it a bit over the next couple of months,’ Crawley said.

Having played both grade cricket in Western Australia and represented Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League, Crawley understands the contrasting conditions between the Midland Guildford club ground and next week’s Test venue better than most.

There was better news elsewhere as Ollie Pope (above) scored a 100 to nail down his place

Ben Stokes showed some ruthless batting and passed 50, as did Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett

Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann also aimed a dig at England for being predictable

‘We are just trying to get some rhythm and spend time in the middle,’ he continued.

‘I’ve played at the Optus and it’s got a bit of pace and bounce, but you can never judge, we are a week away and we will see.’

Crawley departed moments later when Fisher pinged the flap of his front pad.

But after the Lions were gifted two further wickets, Pope nailed down the No 3 spot for the start of the Ashes, cashing in as a surface baked by the sun slowed up and the ball softened.

With England captain Stokes practising what he preached with his ‘balls to the wall’ pledge at the other end, punishing anything too short or too full, taking particular toll on the tour’s senior spinner Shoaib Bashir by launching a couple of monstrous straight sixes, England began scoring at their customary clip again.

Mark Wood appeared in good spirits, smiling as he watched on from the boundary ahead of a scan that will determine whether he has strained his hamstring, ruling him out of bowling on the third day and therefore in next week’s first Test.

The senior side were in credit by the time that Stokes sliced to point off Jacks – the first of a procession of late wickets that included three for 14 from the slow left-arm of Jacob Bethell.

Meanwhile, England’s Ashes preparations continued in among the phoney-war, with Darren Lehmann becoming the latest Australian to aim a dig at Stokes’ side on Wednesday.

After they announced their team for the warm-up match against the Lions, former Australia coach Lehmann accused them of being predictable.

‘No spinner (tick), bowl first (tick) – Never bat first, this is how they will set up. Over rates, who cares,’ he posted on X.