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Marcus Trescothick has hinted Ollie Pope will remain as England’s first-choice number three for the Ashes, saying the tourists are “very consistent” in their selection.

England meet England Lions in their only Ashes warm-up match in Perth from Thursday and are likely to field something close to the XI that will line up in the first Test on 21 November.

Pope has been under pressure for his number three spot from Jacob Bethell for the past year.

When asked who will fill the role in the tour match, England assistant coach Trescothick told BBC Sport: “I’m presuming the same sort of number three we’ve had for a period of time.”

He added: “I can only say we are a very consistent team in what we’re trying to do.”

Pope averages 41.60 batting at number three for England, although has a habit of fading as series progress. In the home summer he made a century in his first innings of the series against India, then passed 50 only once in his next eight.

When England announced their Ashes squad, Pope was replaced as vice-captain by Harry Brook, appearing to make the Surrey man more vulnerable to being left out of the team.

At the time, director of cricket Rob Key said Pope was the “man in possession” of the number-three spot.

Bethell, 22, is an outstanding prospect and made his first professional century in a one-day international against South Africa in September.

The left-hander was part of England’s white-ball tour of New Zealand last month so had the chance to press his Ashes case, but could only manage a highest score of 24 in five innings.

Bethell is still likely to be part of the tour game. Any players from the Ashes squad not in the England XI for the three-day game will join the Lions XI.

With playing only one practice match before the first Test, England want to ramp up the intensity during the game at Lilac Hill. Captain Ben Stokes, who often skips warm-up matches, is set to play his first cricket since July after recovering from a shoulder injury.

Despite that, former England opener Trescothick said performances in the warm-up would probably not alter plans for the first Test against Australia at Optus Stadium.

“I guess everyone has an opportunity to stake their claim,” he said. “As I mentioned, how consistent we’ve been with our team selection, it’s been very level.

“Bar the odd injury we’ve not really chopped and changed a great deal. 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.

Stokes is vital to England’s chances and is on track to play a full part as an all-rounder in the first Test.

The 34-year-old has not played since missing the final Test against India. He bowled at full pace in the nets on Tuesday and will bat in practice on Wednesday.

“As long as he’s happy and feeling good, he’ll go into the Test matches playing a full role,” said Trescothick of the captain.

Fast bowler Mark Wood could also play for the first time since February following knee surgery.

“He’s doing fine,” said Trescothick. “He’s obviously strapping up his body and keeping the knee well looked after at the moment.

“If he’s running in and bowling at the level he needs to and the medical side are happy where he is – I’m pretty sure that’s the case – then he’ll be in contention the same as everyone else.”

Trescothick also defended England’s preparations. Ashes tours usually involve multiple warm-up matches, but under captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum England have not played more than one tour game on their overseas trips of the past three years.

It is a method that has served them well – they have won the first Test of the series on all five occasions.

However, a number of former players have questioned England’s method, including legendary all-rounder Lord Botham in Melbourne on Tuesday.

“It’s not the way I would prepare,” said Botham.

“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.”

But Trescothick said: “Times have dramatically changed in the way that cricket is done.

“What we are doing for this series isn’t anything different from when we went to New Zealand, Pakistan or anywhere else. It isn’t any different from when India come to England, or when Australia come to England.

“People are talking about it and I obviously respect their opinions, but the volume of cricket that is now played around the world, the opportunities are not there.

The Turkish Football Federation has suspended 1,024 players from its professional leagues as part of an investigation into betting.

The TFF said players who have been identified as having bet on football, including 27 from Turkey’s top flight, have been referred to the country’s Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK).

Following the move, matches in the third and fourth divisions of Turkish football have been postponed for two weeks, although games in the country’s top two divisions will continue.

The TFF has asked world governing body Fifa for an extra 15 days in addition to the winter transfer window so that clubs can deal with squad shortages. Fifa has been asked for comment.

Besiktas, one of Turkey’s biggest clubs, issued a statement saying two of their players had been referred to the PFDK and that they had “full faith” in the innocence of the pair.

The scandal initially hit the headlines on 27 October, when TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu said hundreds of referees were linked to betting accounts.

Haciosmanoglu claimed that out of 571 referees working in Turkey’s professional leagues, 371 had betting accounts and 152 were actively placing wagers.

He said the group included seven referees and 15 assistant referees from Turkey’s top two divisions, as well as 36 “classified” referees and 94 assistants from the level below.

The TFF president added that 10 referees each placed more than 10,000 bets. One referee placed 18,227, while 142 referees placed bets on more than 1,000 matches. Some referees only placed a single bet.

Like players and coaches, match officials are forbidden from participating in betting activities by TFF regulations, as well as those of Fifa and European governing body Uefa.

Former world 100m silver medallist Marvin Bracy-Williams has been given a 45-month ban for doping offences after a whistleblower triggered an investigation.

The 31-year-old American sprinter was runner-up at the 2022 World Championships at Eugene in Oregon.

He was also part of the USA men’s 4x100m relay team that won silver, which means Great Britain are set to be upgraded to silver from bronze.

Bracy-Williams was provisionally suspended in February 2024 after testing positive for anabolic agent testosterone.

Bracy-Williams, who has not competed since 2023, initially tried to tamper with the investigation and also breached the whereabouts rules where athletes must let officials know where they will be.

But he later admitted his violations and also provided “substantial assistance” to the investigation, said Usada, which carried out the investigation with the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and US Drug Enforcement Administration.

“This case is an example of the importance of cooperation between like-minded organisations and law enforcement agencies when it comes to eradicating organised doping schemes,” said Usada chief Travis Tygart.

“When the rules are applied as they should be, we can hold people accountable while also pursuing additional anti-doping rule violations and criminal charges.

Bracy-Williams is the second sprinter from the USA podium sweep of the 2022 world 100m to fall foul of anti-doping regulations.

Gold medallist Fred Kerley was provisionally suspended in August by the Athletics Integrity Unit for whereabouts failures. He said at the time that he planned to contest the allegation.