Two years ago, Ollie Pope was asked to stand in as England’s wicketkeeper on the tour of Pakistan, but didn’t have any kit. He had to borrow some from Ben Foakes.
Pope remains the last England keeper to score a Test hundred overseas. Although he didn’t update that record in Christchurch on Friday, 77 on the second day of the first Test against New Zealand following a blemish-free 91 overs as the fill-in gloveman was a reminder of Pope’s value. He helped drag England from a parlous 71-4 to 319-5, just 29 behind.
In the past two months, Pope has been England captain, vice-captain, wicketkeeper, opener, number three and number six.
The only thing England haven’t asked Pope to do is drive the team bus, and that’s because the players are getting around Christchurch on escooters.
It’s been a pretty luckless period, too. When England were making 823-7 in Pakistan, the sort of number a vidiprinter would have to spell out, Pope was out for a duck. His use of DRS could have stood for dreadful reviews, skipper.
Perhaps it should therefore have come as no surprise that, on a day when New Zealand coated their hands in butter and dropped six catches, Pope was the victim of a gravity-bending worldie from Glenn Phillips.
Harry Brook, beneficiary of four of the drops in his 132 not out, apologised to Pope as he departed.
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