Ollie Pope’s superb 91 not out helped England recover on the first day of the deciding third Test against the West Indies at Old Trafford...
Ollie Pope’s superb 91 not out helped England recover on the first day of the deciding third Test against the West Indies at Old Trafford on Friday with the batsman admitting “it’s a weight off my shoulders”.
England were in trouble at 122/4, with second Test century-makers Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes, as well as captain Joe Root, all out cheaply.
But Pope, who ended the day in sight of his second Test hundred and the under-pressure Jos Buttler, 56 not out, shared an unbroken stand of 136 that left England on 258/4 when bad light forced an early close.
Pope’s effort was all the more admirable as his first three innings this series had yielded scores of just 12, 12 and seven.
He was unbeaten on another 12 as England completed a 113-run win in the second Test, also at Old Trafford, to leave this three-match contest all square at 1-1.
“It does feel like a little bit of a weight off the shoulders,” Pope told Sky Sports.
‘Intense environment’
International cricket’s first series since the coronavirus lockdown has seen both teams confined to on-site hotels at both the Ageas Bowl, the venue in Southampton for the first Test, and Old Trafford.
Pope said he had struggled with being unable to return home between Tests.
“To be honest, I’ve found...
