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Amla feels Bumrah can bowl at all stages of an innings, Kohli lauds his intensity and work ethic

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2019The battle at the nets: “If you’e even a little hesitant, he’s all over you.”
Kohli: “One thing with facing Jasprit is you have to play good cricketing shots and you have to back your technique against him. If you are hesitant even a little bit, (and) he senses that and he’s all over you. If he senses someone’s not enjoying the short ball in the nets, he will make sure that guy gets it in that session.”So what you see him bowling in the match, he bowls exactly like that to us in the nets. He doesn’t care who is standing in front of him. He will bounce people, he will try to get people bowled, he will york people with the new ball and that’s the reason for his consistency. He doesn’t change his game because he’s in the nets compared to the game.”He goes in with match intensity. He will do short and sharp, but those 15 minutes you have to make sure that you are on top of your game, otherwise it can be trouble. He keeps all the batsmen really, really focussed on what they need to do which is a back-and-forth thing. For a batsman, it’s beautiful to face a guy like that who bowls with match intensity and he’s looking to get you out, so when you play well against him you walk out with more confidence.”The mindset – “He’s rushing people”Kohli: “He believes he can nick people off with length balls. Whether it is a flat pitch, whether it is assisting bowlers or not, he can nick you off on any wicket. He has that belief that he can get batsmen out with good balls, even if the batsman knows what may come. It is so, so good to see when you see batsmen literally clueless against him and he’s rushing people.IDI via Getty Images

In bowler-friendly conditions – “Tests the patience of batsmen”
Bumrah: When you get a wicket which offers help, where you get the seam movement, you can be tempted to try different things, but you don’t need to do that. You can bowl like in a Test match and test the patience of the batsman.Standing in slips – “For the next 15 minutes, my hands were buzzing”
Kohli: “You know it’s one thing to see a bowler bowl, and then when you catch the ball, you understand the heaviness of the ball and the pace. I caught that ball (catching Quinton de Kock in slips against South Africa), I promise you, for the next 15 minutes, my hands were buzzing (smiles).”I told him you know, that I can feel the pain in my hands. That’s how quickly he’s bowling, the batsmen have literally no time on the ball. It’s not like he’s giving you any freebies. Forget it with the new ball anyway. When he’s trying yorkers and he gets one wrong, that’s a different case. But I think with the new ball he was absolutely outstanding, to get Amla out like that, I haven’t seen that happen in one-day cricket.”Opponent’s praise: “Hell of a bowler”
Amla: When I look around, him and KG [Rabada] are for me the best bowlers in the world. Firstly, they have good pace, are accurate, can bowl yorkers at almost at will and they can bowl at all stages of the game and in all format. He [Bumrah] is a hell of a bowler.

The two games will be part of the nationwide celebrations to commemorate the birth centenary of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Mohammad Isam24-Jul-2019The BCB will host two T20Is between an Asia XI and a World XI in March 2020, as part of the extensive nationwide celebrations to commemorate the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s founding father.BCB president Nazmul Hassan said that they are looking for the “best current cricketers” for the two sides, and expected many of their desired players to be available as only two teams are scheduled to be involved in international cricket by that time.Sheikh Mujib was born on March 17, 1920, and every year his birth anniversary is celebrated through a national holiday. Because of the birth centenary next year, the government is chalking up big plans for celebrations, which will include cricket matches.”There will be a matter of availability if they [the players] have international duties,” Hassan said. “I think only two teams will be busy at the time, but they won’t be playing T20s, so we might get their T20 players. We are looking for the best players among the current lot, and because the games will have international status, everyone will be serious about it.”Hassan said that during the ICC meeting last week, the members had unanimously allowed these two games to have international status although the regulation only allows such matches to get the international status if it involves a Full Member nation playing the game.”They made a special dispensation for Bangladesh, but they said it is only a one-off that such a match will get international status,” Hassan said.
The matches will be held between March 18 and 21 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

Subject to clearance from his state association, Vijay will play the final three games of Somerset’s title push

George Dobell22-Aug-2019Somerset are hoping to complete the signing of Murali Vijay for the final few weeks of the county season.Somerset are chasing the first Championship title in their history. They are currently second in the Division One table, just two points behind Essex, with the teams scheduled to meet in the final game of the season.The deal is expected to have been agreed between the club and the player, with Vijay awaiting approval from his state association, Tamil Nadu, before it can be confirmed. If it is, it is anticipated he will be available for the final three Championship matches of the season.Vijay played three Championship matches for Essex at the end of the 2018 season. He made three 50s and one hundred in his five innings and averaged 64.59.He started the same summer as India’s first-choice opener, but averaged just 6.50 in the two Tests he played and was soon left out. He won his place back for the tour of Australia last winter, but was dropped after the Perth Test and has not been picked since, missing out on selection for the ongoing tour of the West Indies.Somerset’s previous overseas players, Azhar Ali and Babar Azam, have been recalled to Pakistan in September.Northamptonshire are also hoping to strengthen their promotion hopes with a late-season signing. Currently third in Division Two – the top three are promoted – they are aiming to bring in West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach for the final few games of the campaign.That could mean he plays against his West Indies new-ball colleague, Shannon Gabriel, in the last week of the season.Gloucestershire, who are currently second in Division Two, host Northants in the final match of their campaign.

Jasprit Bumrah and Jason Holder move into top five for bowlers after Jamaica Test

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-2019Steven Smith might have missed the Headingley Test, but still managed to reclaim the top spot in the world rankings for Test batsmen after Virat Kohli, ahead by just six points after the last update, slipped to No. 2 following scores of 76 and 0 at Sabina Park.Kohli did well in the first innings in Jamaica, and led India to a 257-run win and a 2-0 series triumph, but up at the top, every failure affects a player’s position, as his first-ball duck off Kemar Roach in the second dig proved. That brought him down to 903 rating points, one below Smith, who has 904.The series win, however, helped India consolidate their position atop the team chart, their 113 points four clear of second-placed New Zealand, who drew their two-Test series 1-1 in Sri Lanka.Smith had taken over the No. 1 ranking in December 2015 but Kohli overtook him in August 2018 when Smith was out of action because of the one-year ban following the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal.Back in Australia’s whites, Smith scored 144 and 142 in Australia’s win at Edgbaston before scoring 92 in his only innings in the drawn Lord’s Test. He didn’t bat in the second innings after concussion following a blow to the head from a Jofra Archer bouncer, and Marnus Labuschagne replaced him in the second innings. Smith then sat out the third Test at Headingley.While Smith has a chance to add to his tally – or lose points – in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford, Kohli’s next Test assignment will come during the home series against South Africa in October.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The big news on the bowlers’ front was Jasprit Bumrah and Jason Holder moving into the top five. Bumrah had started the Jamaica Test in seventh position, while Holder was at 11th place. The Indian’s 6 for 27 and Holder’s 5 for 77 – both in the first innings – lifted them to No. 3 and No. 4 respectively. Roach stayed in the top ten, but moved one spot down to ninth after picking up just four wickets in the second Test against India.Bumrah’s tally of 835 rating points, meanwhile, is the second-highest by an Indian pacer in Test cricket, only behind Kapil Dev’s 877 in 1980 – interestingly, Bumrah has reached where he has in just 12 Test matches.Pat Cummins and Kagiso Rabada continued to hold the top-two spots on that table.From other batsmen in action in the West Indies v India Test series, Ajinkya Rahane’s 81, 102, 24 and 64 not out helped him get back in the top ten, up to No.7 from No. 11, while Hanuma Vihari’s 32, 93, 111 and 53 not out took him up to No. 30 after just six Test appearances.

Seamer grabs three quick wickets on lively deck before Hampshire rally around allrounder

Matt Roller at the Ageas Bowl16-Sep-2019Somerset 30 for 2 trail Hampshire 196 (Dawson 103, Gregory 3-63) by 173 runsOnly twice this decade has a bowler ended a season with more than 50 Championship wickets at an average below 15, but after running through Hampshire’s top order at the Ageas Bowl, Lewis Gregory has a fighting chance to put his name alongside Graham Onions and Morne Morkel in doing so.Gregory’s opening burst accounted for Felix Organ, Sam Northeast and James Vince within the first 40 minutes of play, and with new-ball partner Josh Davey and the returning Craig Overton picking up a wicket apiece, Hampshire were reeling at 24 for 5.They soon fought back, primarily thanks to Liam Dawson’s first Championship hundred in three years, but after bad light interrupted the final session, Somerset reached the close two down with the expectation of bright sunshine tomorrow.A few years ago, it seemed that Gregory might never quite manage to fulfil his obvious promise. A former England under-19 captain, he had been a semi-regular wicket-taker in the Championship and an occasional contributor with the bat in white-ball cricket, but he had not quite kicked on in the way his club had once hoped, and back injuries were a constant source of irritation.Fast forward to the present day, and he is perhaps the best English player on the circuit yet to win an international cap. In T20, he is a brilliant finisher, and attracted interest from Rajasthan Royals before last year’s IPL auction, while in the Championship he is a precision engineer in his control of line and length.Here, he was nagging and accurate, nipping the ball both ways off the seam. He struck with the third ball of the day, as Organ fended to slip, before removing Northeast – brilliantly caught in the gully by Roelof van der Merwe – and clean bowling Vince with a sharp inswinger.”I’ve had a lot of issues physically which have held me back a little bit,” Gregory said. “Someone asked me earlier in the year what the difference has been [this season], and I think it’s purely been that.”The skill has always been there, it’s just being able to back that up, spell after spell. After a couple of operations it seems like I’m able to do that, so fingers crossed that continues.”Every man, woman and child in Somerset has underlined, circled and highlighted next week’s apparent title decider against Essex in their respective diaries, but a win here and a Surrey victory at Chelmsford could feasibly be enough to seal the pennant with a game to go.And at the stage of the season when every bonus point counts, Somerset had one within half an hour of the first morning of their penultimate game. On a pitch with a healthy covering of grass – Nigel Gray’s final home surface as Hampshire’s groundsman – both sides surprisingly wanted to bat, though Vince must have instantly regretted his decision.In the game between these sides here last summer, 34 wickets fell in five sessions as the final nail was hammered into the coffin that contained Somerset’s title hopes by teatime on the second day; after the early flurry of wickets, it seemed a repeat was on the cards.But during a vital stand of 92 between Dawson and Keith Barker, who made a doughty 40, batting suddenly began to look easy.”I think the ball got a little softer,” suggested Gregory. “It was hard to keep the ball in good condition. There was a little bit in the surface with a hard seam, and it seemed to nip around a little bit, so fingers crossed we can play well first thing in the morning, and with the sunshine out we can make hay.”Dawson has had an unusual summer, with a two-month stint carrying the drinks as part of England’s World Cup squad punctuating an otherwise unremarkable campaign, and he had off-field distractions to contend with in the form of lucrative contract offers from both Surrey and Warwickshire.Instead, he signed a new three-year deal at Hampshire, and was the only man to look comfortable against Somerset’s persistent attack. He seized on width well, playing the ball late under his eyes, and brought up his hundred with an elegant straight drive through mid-on.It would have been a source of immense frustration that he was dismissed in such tame fashion, flashing at a back-of-a-length ball from Tom Abell with minimal foot movement, but if this wicket proves to be low-scoring, his 103 runs may prove to be worth plenty more.”It is one of the quickest pitches I’ve played on here in the last couple of years,” said Dawson. “There is more bounce and zip than usual. When it is doing something, it is doing it quicker.”***Rilee Rossouw has played his final game of red-ball cricket for Hampshire. The South African batsman hinted at the start of the season that he was unlikely to extend his deal beyond this season, and will only play T20 for the club next year. It is as yet unclear as to whether he will attempt to resume his international career.Meanwhile, Tim Groenewald is set to leave Somerset after five-and-a-half years at the club. His contract expires at the end of the season, and it is expected that Kent will announce him as a new signing in the coming weeks.

The allrounder punched the dressing room wall in frustration after being dismissed against Tasmania

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2019Mitchell Marsh faces a race to be in contention for the first Test against Pakistan next month after scans revealed he suffered a fractured hand after punching the dressing room wall at the WACA on Sunday.Marsh’s outburst came following his dismissal for 53 in the opening over of the final day of the Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania when he drove a return catch to Jackson Bird. That followed a dragged-on pull in the first innings.While the exact length of Marsh’s lay-off is still to be confirmed it would appear unlikely he can stake a claim to be retained for the Gabba Test which starts on November 21 following his Ashes recall last month.He was given a public dressing down by Western Australia coach Adam Voges on Monday.”It’s disappointing that any Western Australian player has subjected himself to potentially missing games of cricket because of a moment of madness, particularly your captain,” Voges told reporters. “It’s not appropriate from any Western Australian cricketer, let alone the skipper.”While the injury is a dent in Marsh’s international hopes, in the more immediate term it is a headache for Western Australia who lose their captain ahead of their second Sheffield Shield match against Victoria on Friday.”We understand the frustrations that come from high-profile and high-performance sport but, look, he needs to be better,” Voges said. “Mitch is a good person. This is one moment of frustration that hopefully doesn’t cost him a long period out of the game, but it might do, and it’s something that he needs to address.”Marsh was recalled to the Test team for the final match of the Ashes and responded with his maiden five-wicket haul, though he was far from certain to be retained at the start of the home season. However, a strong all-round showing in the Sheffield Shield matches over the next month would have put him in a strong position, with Australia keen to have an allrounder in the side to take the pressure off their three-pronged pace attack.

After opting to bat, Pakistan defended a modest 215 against Bangladesh in the opening ODI

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2019Pakistan defended 215 against Bangladesh in the opening fixture of the three-ODI series that counts for the Women’s Championship, in Lahore, courtesy of a three-for by Sana Mir, who ensured opener Nahida Khan’s match-winning 68 and a collective disciplined showing from the bowling attack was not in vain in the low-scoring game.Bangladesh’s chase began on a wobbly note as they lost their top three for a mere 41 runs inside the first Powerplay. Leading the undoing of the visitors’ line-up was Mir herself, who removed opener Murshida Khatun for 4 and No. 3 Sanjida Islam in consecutive overs, leaving Bangladesh tottering on 9 for 2. Sharmin Akhter couldn’t muster a score beyond 20 and Fargana Hogue, the No. 4 batsman, too, fell after getting into the 20s.The want of partnerships continued to compound Bangladesh’s woes as only wicketkeeper-batsman Nigar Sultanamade a half-century for the visitors while four batsman departed after getting into the 20s. Bangladesh’s highest partnership – stitched together by Hoque and captain Rumana Ahmed for the fourth wicket – yielded only 38.Meanwhile, Pakistan’s spin trio, comprising Mir, Nashra Sandhu and debutant Sadia Iqbal, returned 7 for 115 from their combined 28.4 overs, including figures of 2 for 38 off Sadia’s allocated 10 overs of left-arm orthodox spin. Medium-pacer Diana Baig complemented the spinners with 2 for 43 off her 10 overs, helping skittle Bangladesh out for 186 in 47.4 overs.As with the visiting side, Pakistan’s batsmen failed to play out the entire 50 overs as experienced bowling allrounder Jahanara Alam struck thrice during her 10 overs at the expense of 44 runs, dismissing two set batsmen in captain Bismah Maroof and Aliya Raiyaz for 39 and 37 respectively. However, unlike Bangladesh, the hosts, who had opted to bat, strung three fifty stands, with Player of the Match Nahida involved in two of them.The top-scorer across sides, Nahida added 59 with Sidra Ameen for the opening stand, and then took Pakistan past 100 with a 69-run third-wicket partnership with Maroof. Nahida struck seven fours en route to her enterprising 97-ball 68 before she holed out to Ahmed off namesake Nahida Akter.After Nahida’s dismissal in the 36th over, Umaima Sohail and Aliya Riyaz put on 53 off 50 balls during their fifth-wicket stand. However, it wasn’t long before Pakistan suffered a collapse that saw them lose 5 for 27, the departure of Mir for 2 triggering the breakdown. The hosts folded inside 49 overs but not before they had put up a total that proved enough for them to take a 1-0 lead in series, having clinched the preceding T20I series 3-0.

The teenager explains what Pakistan did differently post-lunch in Rawalpindi to change the game

Umar Farooq in Rawalpindi11-Dec-2019After conceding 89 runs in the first, wicketless session in Rawalpindi, Pakistan remarkably got back in the game in the second. They had bowled 48 balls on a full length in 26 overs in that opening session, conceding 47 runs off these deliveries and straying on leg stump as well. Wayward in line, ineffective in length, captain Azhar Ali’s statements the previous day on the important of discipline in Test format seemed lost on this attack. Speaking after the day’s play, 16-year-old Naseem Shah admitted that new plans had to be drawn up for the second session, and those centred around containing the Sri Lanka batsmen.It was the first time in 24 years that Pakistan were playing at home with an all-pace attack. The last time this happened was in 1995, against Sri Lanka in Sialkot. The hint of grass on the Rawalpindi pitch in combination with the earlier overcast conditions seemed to suggest it was the way to go but, at the toss, Sri Lanka opted to bat, baffling many. A lack of swing duly followed, and Pakistan conceded 3.4 runs to the over in that first session. In all, 120 balls were pitched on a length or fuller to concede 74 runs.When asked if his side misread the pitch, Shah said: “It’s cricket and it happens… yes there was moisture in the pitch but we couldn’t get wickets early. They also batted well and we didn’t bowl according to the plan in the first session.”So we had to re-plan and went out to contain in the second session. Overall the pitch was good, all you have to hit the good areas for success. We could have taken another wicket [in the day] but we will come back fresh tomorrow to get them as quickly as we can to restrict them under 250 to have a full control [of the game].”Shah finished the day with two wickets, as Sri Lanka slipped from 96 for 0 to 189 for 5. At stumps they were 202 for 5, and Shah, playing his second Test after a testing debut in Australia, was facing a crowed press conference for the first time. He came across as confident in answering whatever question was thrown at him. When asked about being rested in the second Test in Australia despite holding his own in the first, he kept it brief: “There wasn’t any issue. Our management understands better how they want to take care of me, so nothing to worry about.”Of course, the Rawalpindi Test is a homecoming for Test cricket in Pakistan, and Shah was happy to soak up the atmosphere. “In Australia I saw how the crowd there was behind their bowlers all the time and their support really gave them a push,” he said. “And today, playing at a home venue in front of my own crowd gave me the exact sense I got in Australia. The crowd was outstanding and they were cheering on every good ball I bowled, so playing at home wasn’t about me being under pressure but instead I was enjoying the atmosphere.”

New Zealand crossed 200 for the first time in the series but overall the batting fell short again

Report by Andrew McGlashan29-Dec-2019James Pattinson and Nathan Lyon combined to bowl Australia to a handsome 247-run victory with a day to spare, and with it retention of the Trans-Tasman trophy, but makeshift opener Tom Blundell showed tremendous spirit with a second Test hundred to take it deep into the final session. Pattinson’s three-wicket pre-lunch burst appeared to be hurtling New Zealand to a swift defeat, but Blundell stood up magnificently to the challenge. However, Lyon’s 4 for 81 ensured Australia would not have to return on Monday to wrap things up.After being set a hypothetical 488 for victory – following Australia’s declaration 10 overs into the day – New Zealand plummeted to 3 for 35 as Pattinson claimed three wickets in nine balls which included losing Kane Williamson for a duck. Blundell, who had never opened in first-class cricket before this match, could have been lbw in the first over but went on to play an outstanding innings and score the first century by a New Zealander at the MCG.When the Australia quicks started straight he worked them through the leg side and when they went short he was never afraid of taking it on. His hundred came from 185 balls when he nudged Pat Cummins towards mid-on, the milestone greeted by raucous celebrations from the large travelling support who helped swell the crowd to over 200,000 across the four days.As the lower order departed, and with Trent Boult unable to bat, it looked as though Blundell would carry his bat – the last man to do that was team-mate Tom Latham – but as he opened his shoulders with the century under his belt he picked out mid-on against Marnus Labuschagne as Paine spared his fast bowlers towards the end. It was those quicks, especially Pattinson and Cummins, that had done so much to secure this victory.Pattinson, who returned to the side as Josh Hazlewood’s replacement, struck with his fourth delivery when he drew Latham into driving at a wide delivery to break an opening stand that had shown small signs of promise, but even bigger prize followed a few moments later after a switch of ends following the successful first over.Tom Blundell went after Australia’s quicks•Getty Images

Williamson, who played a poor shot in the first innings to fall for 9, was given lbw when a delivery nipped back to catch him on the crease. The captain called for the DRS, as he had to do, and the replays showed it was clipped leg stump by, dare it be said, the barest of margins. It was the type of decision that can often go against the side under the pump. Australia have cut off the captain, once again, and it has given them a huge advantage.While there may have been an element of bad fortune in Williamson’s dismissal, Ross Taylor’s downfall was self-inflicted as he dragged on an under edge as he attempted to cut Pattinson to give the quick his third wicket in nine deliveriesAustralia could have had their first wicket in the opening over when Mitchell Starc swung one back into Blundell which would have taken leg stump and been overturned on DRS had Paine reviewed. A freshly-shaven Blundell made a punchy start to his innings, launching a pull over wide mid-on against Cummins, and he continued to impress during the afternoon as alongside Henry Nicholls he halted Australia’s immediate advances for more than an hour. There was the latest example of a bail not being dislodged when Nicholls inside-edged Starc, although the delivery was a no-ball so he would have survived anyway, and Starc became a little hot under the collar as he strived for a wicket.Both Starc sent down a delivery at 152kph and Cummins touched 147kph as they pushed up the speed gun during their afternoon spells but it was Lyon, settling into a nice spell, who brought through when one gripped to beat Nicholls’ edge and he dragged his foot out of the crease with Paine very alert.Blundell went to his half-century from 106 balls and took on Pattinson and Cummins in thrilling style shortly before tea, with BJ Watling joining him in a stand of 72 before Lyon got work again. Watling was removed in rare fashion, get an inside edge that flew through the gate to be caught by David Warner at leg slip. Colin de Grandhomme fell heaving Lyon to the leg side and Blundell needed someone calm to stay with him to ensure three figures wasn’t missed.Mitchell Santner, who has had a difficult match, did that and a bit more in a stand that threatened to push the match to the fifth day until Lyon found the edge and Tim Southee was run out in a mix-up with Blundell. In a way it was fitting that it was Blundell and Neil Wagner at the crease as the game finished, they are two players who will leave with reputations enhanced. Otherwise it has been a humbling series for New Zealand against an Australia side going from strength to strength and looking for a whitewash in Sydney.

Young talent becomes youngest England batsman to score Test ton since Alastair Cook

George Dobell in Port Elizabeth17-Jan-2020Around the time he reached his half-century, a landmark achieved with successive cuts for four, Ollie Pope took his Test batting average above 40 for the first time.No young player comes with guarantees. Pope is probably no more talented than Graeme Hick or Mark Ramprakash and they probably didn’t, by the ridiculously harsh standards we set for these things, fulfil their potential as Test batsmen. But, as Pope celebrated his fifty, it was hard not to wonder if his average would ever dip below the mark again. It may well go significantly higher.Pope looks, by some distance, the best specialist batsman to come into this side since Joe Root in late 2012. He has a wide range of strokes, he seems to have plenty of time for the ball, and has the appetite to bat for long periods. He also has, now, a compact technique and an ability to leave well outside off stump, giving him a game which shows no obvious weaknesses. This first Test century will surely be the first of many.ALSO READ: Superlative Stokes approaches batting fulfillmentIt is worth listing those men who have scored Test centuries for England at a younger age than Pope’s 22 years and 15 days. They are: Denis Compton, Jack Hearne, Len Hutton, Alastair Cook, David Gower, Peter May and Colin Cowdrey. There are only seven names there and six (Hearne is the one to miss out) can probably safely be described as among the greats of English cricket. Already, Pope is in exclusive company.He is used to that, of course. After 30 first-class matches, he averaged more than any England player in history. He made his Test debut, aged just 20, after only 15 first-class game and is now England’s youngest maiden centurion since Cook in 2006. “That’s a nice little stat,” Pope said with a bashful smile afterwards. “He was a great player.”His first captain at Surrey, Gareth Batty, had never heard of him until he turned up to training one day. Pope was 17 or 18 at the time and had only just signed for the professional staff from the prolific Surrey academy. But he was taking apart Surrey’s first-choice T20 attack and the club captain’s attention was seized.”Jade Dernbach was reversing it sharply and Stuart Meaker was overstepping and bowling fast,” Batty recalled. “And Ollie was smashing it and scooping it everywhere. Straight away I thought, ‘Hello, what have we got here?’ He was obviously special.””He has to be in every side we have,” was the gist of Dernbach’s comments to Batty once the session finished. And he pretty much was, Surrey being Surrey. Until he was promoted into the England system, Pope was on the brink of a leadership role at the club, too, aged 20 and talked of as the captain after Rory Burns. “He’s definitely leadership material,” Batty said.Surrey deserve some credit for this success. The last four maiden Test centurions for England – Pope, Dom Sibley, Burns and Ben Foakes – all came through the Surrey pathway to one extent or another. While Foakes developed at Essex, the other three, including Sibley (who had moved on to Warwickshire by the time he represented England) all came through Surrey’s academy where Neil Stewart, brother of Alec, and Gareth Townsend, the coaches, are clearly doing a terrific job for club and country. Sam Curran progressed along the same path.But it speaks volumes for Pope’s character that it was from a setback that his game took its most pertinent improvement. At the start of the 2019 season, having been dropped by England, he suffered a dislocated shoulder which kept him out of the game for three-and-a-half months. Many young men, some of whom might well have played for England in recent times, could have taken the opportunity to get away from the game. To take a holiday. To chase girls, drink too much and enjoy the high life.Not Pope. Instead, he sat down with Vikram Solanki, assistant coach at Surrey, and worked out a way he could use the time constructively. And, reflecting on his first brush with international cricket, when a certain looseness outside off stump was exploited by better bowlers than he routinely encountered in county cricket, they worked out that he should change his guard so he was further across the stumps. That way, he could judge which balls to leave with greater certainty of where is off stump was.Ollie Pope reverse-laps•Stu Forster/Getty Images

“I sat down with Vikram, and we decided the way I was getting out most was pushing at those fifth-stump balls that I should probably be leaving,” Pope said.”So we decided that I should move across slightly in my crease. From a technical point of view that was the main thing: allowing me to line up off stump so I could leave the ball well and actually defend close to my front pad. I’ve still got that strength of cutting and off my legs as well.”The period also reinforced to him how much he wanted to succeed in the game. He had experienced a first taste of the international game – two Tests against India in the English summer of 2018 – and he desperately wanted more. So he resolved to put away those airy drives and render himself a far tougher batsman to dismiss.”From a mental point of view, I go back to those three-and-a-half months,” he says now. “It gave me a real hunger to come back. It made me that bit hungrier, I think.”As he showed in the latter stages of his innings, though, he still has all the shots. To see him reverse-pull Kagiso Rabada, or ramp Anrich Nortje was to see a special talent just starting to blossom. He may play within himself most of the time, but he clearly has the ability to go up a gear when required. There’s no reason at all he shouldn’t thrive in England’s white-ball teams in due course, as well. They have a bit of a gem here.But limited-overs cricket can wait. As can a move up the order in Test cricket. It was a mistake to put him at No. 4 on debut and it was a mistake to hand him the gloves, albeit in an emergency, in New Zealand. He needs the sort of management Hick and Ramprakash lacked. With confidence to add to his talent, he can serve England for a decade and more.”A lot of people chat and say ‘he can do this, he can do that’ but you’re the one who has to go and do it,” he said. “So knowing I have it ticked off is nice going forward. It makes you feel more at home in the side. It makes you more confident in yourself and your ability.”There are other architects in this success. For a start, Pope owes a drink to Ben Stokes who persuaded him to call for a review in the nick of time when he was given out leg before on 74. “I thought I’d be walking back to the changing rooms,” Pope said. “Stokesey told me to review with two seconds left, but I thought we were clutching at straws. It was a great feeling to see the replays.”England’s top-order batsmen, Sibley and Zak Crawley in particular, contributed, too. As Pope put it, “the opening partnership set it all up. The amount of balls they faced meant they took the shine off the ball and we were able to capitalise.” This is a team game, after all, and it reflects well on Pope that, in his moment of triumph, he remembered the people who had helped him along the way.There are some caveats to all this. The Port Elizabeth pitch is unusually slow and Vernon Philander is clearly a man coming to the end of his international career. There were moments in the field when he looked as if he were performing a passable impression of Oliver Hardy. Australia will, no doubt, test him with the short ball – though Rabada and Nortje are hardly slow – and tours of Asia will, no doubt, test his ability to play spin. There will, of course, be some rainy days on his journey. But of all the players in this emerging Test side, perhaps only Jofra Archer has as bright a future.