TRULY SPECIAL MOMENT
skipper Nasser Hussain, who thought Rabada’s actions were fine, and Michael Holding, who did not.
“He has to learn,” said former Windies fast bowler Holding. “You can’t keep making the same mistakes.
“He has to remember he is damaging his team.
“South Africa without Rabada at the Wanderers – that’s a big blow.”
Hussain countered: “Do I want to see my kids celebrate
OLLIE POPE joined a list of England’s greatest batsmen on a day he will never forget.
At 22 years and 15 days, Pope became the youngest player to make a maiden Test hundred for England since record run-scorer Alastair Cook did so in 2006. He is the eighth youngest England player to score a Test ton. And when you take a look at the names of those to just beat him to the landmark – including the likes of Denis Compton, Len Hutton and David Gower – Pope is already keeping fine company in just his sixth Test. The buzz around Pope is the sort that accompanied Cook when he made his breakthrough, or Gower when he caressed his first ball in Test cricket to the boundary. Those two left-handers went on to fulfil their potential and then some, scoring 51 Test hundreds between them. And the hopes for Pope are equally like that? Yes. I want to see that passion and I don’t want to see robots playing the game.”
Rabada’s actions also mean that South Africa are going to be without the only black African cricketer currently in their team when their transformation target is a minimum of two.
There will be pressure on South Africa selectors to recall batsman Temba Bavuma following his first-class career ambitious. Pope’s unbeaten 135, in an innings of highquality strokeplay combined with a tight unhurried defence, suggests that he and Test cricket will be friends for many years to come.
By playing his part alongside fellow centurymaker Ben Stokes in a record-breaking fifth-wicket partnership on this ground of 203,
Pope provided a glimpse of why the near future for England’s Test team looks even brighter than the ginger-topped crowns of the right and left-handed duo.
England have invested in youth this winter and it is starting to pay off with Pope yesterday joining his former Surrey team-mate Dom Sibley in registering his maiden Test ton. Pope’s ability to read the game situation and adapt high score of 180 this week, but even that will take smoothing over.
It is why Rabada’s actions in celebrating the way he did have repercussions beyond the cricket field and why many more than just his team-mates will feel let down. accordingly across six-and-ahalf hours is perhaps what marks him out above his peers.
Even at the back end of his innings when he was busy adding 73 in just eight overs with Mark Wood, below, before England declared on 499-9, he was able to either find an unusual boundary himself or give the strike to his big-swinging partner against the spinner. As if the day had not been tough enough, Pope reverse-flicked Kagiso Rabada for back-to-back fours in outrageous style, the sort of shots the bowler will perhaps be glad to avoid when he serves his ban at the Wanderers.
Poor old Rabada, who found himself in trouble for an unnecessarily close celebration of Joe Root’s wicket the day before, even had a wicket chalked off when it turned out he had bowled a no-ball. Not performance to show you can do it at this level, and he definitely can do it.
“It is great to be out there to see young talent come through in front of you.” Sibley, left, hit 133 not out in the second Test in Cape Town, and fellow rookie Pope followed up with an unbeaten 135 yesterday. Off-spinner Dom Bess then put the seal on a only did it mean Wood could continue his cameo of 42 from 23 balls but it also resulted in what may be the first ‘un-declaration’ in Test cricket, with Root going back on his decision to call them in.
It was the first time that Root was able to take his team out into the field after batting first with so many runs since they scored 403 in Perth at the end of 2017.
It was as much down to Stokes as it was to Pope, with the best player in the world bringing up his ninth hundred from 174 balls and going on to make 120.
Since the Lord’s Test in the summer, Stokes, the ICC Player of the Year, has scored 818 runs at an average of 58.42 with three hundreds included.
There was still time for Dom Bess to exploit the turn on offer, removing both Pieter Malan and Zubayr Hamza in the gathering gloom to leave the Proteas in trouble on 60-2 at the close.
ENGLAND’S YOUNGEST TEST CENTURIONS perfect day for England by claiming two late wickets.
“I didn’t know what to do as a celebration,” said Pope. “Just get rid of a bit of energy.
“It was a special moment. It was awesome to look up to the boys in the changing room and see how happy they were.
“Whenever you go up a level, you want to tick off that milestone. It makes you feel a bit more at home in the side, more confident in your ability.”