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Ollie Pope struck the first century of England’s Test summer, punishing a careless West Indies side after being dropped twice at Trent Bridge.
Pope was 115 not out at tea on day one of the second Test, anchoring the home team’s total of 259 for four as they looked to build on last week’s innings victory at Lord’s.
The vice-captain made the most of his good fortune after offering presentable chances either side of lunch, Alick Athanaze putting him down on 46 and Jason Holder following suit on 54.
Harry Brook had a similar slice of luck when Athanaze’s hands let him down again but where he failed to cash in, Pope made the most of his chance as he struck 14 fours and a six.
England were surely surprised to be sent in to bat by visiting captain Kraigg Brathwaite, whose gamble looked a good one when Alzarri Joseph snagged Zak Crawley’s outside edge with the third ball of the match.
Unfazed by the early loss of his partner, Ben Duckett produced a blistering knock of 71 in 59 deliveries to put England on top. Duckett, whose participation in the match had been in doubt due to the imminent arrival of his first child, batted like a man in a hurry as he set a rollicking pace in the morning session.
Driving and cutting with utter conviction, the left-hander propelled his side to 50 quicker than any other in Test history, just 26 balls, and reached his own half-century in only 32. Only Sir Ian Botham and Jonny Bairstow have ever done it faster in Tests for England.
Duckett launched his foray in the second over, hijacking 19 off Jayden Seales. The seamer started with a wide and then saw each of his next four balls drilled to the ropes.
Treating the situation like a T20 powerplay on his home ground, Duckett threw his hands at anything wide or overpitched as his ambitious strokeplay piled on the pressure. More than once, he was assisted by sloppy fielding.
The arrival of Holder briefly settled the scoring rate, and almost teased a return catch from Pope on 16, but Duckett was soon back on top as he sprayed the all-rounder either side of point.
Duckett’s hopes of converting his rapid half-century into three figures before lunch were ended by Shamar Joseph, who lined him up from round the wicket and had him well caught at second slip.
Had Athanaze held on to Pope in the last over before lunch, it might have changed things, but the chance tumbled to the turf and allowed England to rest easy on 134 for two.
A messy exit from Joe Root, hacking Seales to mid-on, restored balance but the West Indies needed to stay error-free. Instead they fell to pieces in the field, Holder botching a regulation chance in the cordon to give Pope another lifeline and Athanaze parrying another in the gully to spare Brook.
The Yorkshireman was impatient, scooping Kevin Sinclair to short-leg for 36 to tee up a somersault celebration from the spinner, but Pope showed real focus. Maturing into his innings as it moved along, he waited for the four balls and made sure not to waste them.
He moved to 98 with a sweep off Sinclair, a late call-up for the ill Gudakesh Motie, and secured his ton with a swivel pull through midwicket.
