Ollie Pope was happy to see the luck fall his way at Trent Bridge on day one, after he responded to a quiet start to the season with an excellent 121.
“To spend a lot of time in the middle is really pleasing for me,” said England’s No.3.
Dropped twice on his way to a century, Pope rode his luck in Nottingham in a turning of the tides he felt was due.
“My luck wasn’t with me in my county stint,” said Pope. “But every now and then you get a bit of luck in international cricket and it’s just trying to make it count as much as you can.”
In seven matches for Surrey this season, Pope had a high score of just 63 and an average of 22.9. A series of scores that was particularly difficult for the 26-year-old after coming off the back of a difficult end to the Tests in India, where he managed just 118 runs in eight innings following his fantastic 196 in Hyderabad.
“Batting in India is never an easy place to bat. It wasn’t complacency that I didn’t kick on in that series. I just wasn’t at my best for the other games. I was putting in all the work I possibly could.
“It’s weird the county stuff because I felt I was becoming a better player but for the first time the runs weren’t coming for Surrey and I couldn’t work out why.
“I wouldn’t say [I had] doubts, but you’re like: ‘Why’s everyone else in the country scoring runs in county cricket but England’s No.3 isn’t going out and averaging 50 this summer?”
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Pope credited a number of training sessions with England batting coach Marcus Trescothick for restoring confidence in his game, with Trescothick coming down to London to do some sessions in the week that Pope was rested for Surrey’s match against Essex.
“I think that’s what I put it down to,” Pope said. “The stuff I’ve done away from county cricket and the weeks leading up to it, trying to prepare myself as best I can for their [West Indies] attack.”
Pope made an assured 57 at Lord’s last week and was frustrated not to kick on, with today’s century a statement with the potential for discussion over his place brewing in the not too distant future.
As vice-captain, Pope’s position has never been in doubt, but in a settled top six he was the batter in the least form.
Furthermore, Pope’s record at No.3 is excellent. In 22 Test matches he averages 45 and has made five centuries. Today, he found himself facing the fourth ball of the day, as Zak Crawley was dismissed for a duck after the West Indies had won the toss and elected to bowl.
“I think to go and put on 420 after getting put into bat is a pretty good effort. And to do it in such quick time again, leaving four days left in the game on a good pitch, it's a very pleasing day for us and hopefully hopefully a good enough score.”
And the reason for Pope’s change in fortune? He puts it down to the appearance of Arsenal and England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale in the crowd.
“I'm obviously a big Arsenal fan so I support him a fair bit. He seems to be my lucky charm on the cricket pitch as well! He just messaged me last night and I managed to sort out a couple of tickets for him. He loves his cricket and I love watching Arsenal play too. He sat with my family all day which was class for them. they love it and probably had too many questions for him.
“He’s come to two other games and in one of them I scored 200. And it always happens to be the day he’s there that I get the runs, so I think he can come more often.”
