Frightening thrill of ducking and dodging bullets on ‘Boot Hill’
Pope’s display in third Test means he is booked in again for spot at short leg, writes Nick Hoult
‘People say it is a good job to do badly,” says Keaton Jennings, when asked to sum up the challenge of fielding at short leg, where you have roughly half a second to react to a ball which is often flying directly at your head.
Sadly for Ollie Pope, the fine fist he made of fielding there in England’s third Test victory over South Africa in Port Elizabeth – he took four catches there in two innings – means the task is his for the foreseeable future.
It might be bad news for Pope’s nerves, but it is good for England. When the fourth Test starts today on what is likely to be a bouncy, fast pitch at the Wanderers, there is every chance he will have a busy couple of days as England’s quick bowlers aim at the ribs of South African batsmen.
England have been blessed in having some fine short-leggers in recent years. Jennings was one, taking stunning catches in Sri Lanka in the winter of 2018, but it was at the Wanderers four years ago where one of England’s finest displays of fielding at “Boot Hill” occurred.
James Taylor took two blinders in a Test which England won handsomely. Taylor was – like Pope – apparently built for the job, with a 5ft 4in frame and incredibly quick reflexes. His two catches arguably turned the Test England’s way: one low down off Hashim Amla, with his reaction time clocked at 0.41sec, and then an even better grab off Dane Vilas, moving in a flash to his right side. That catch was timed at 0.51sec, and Vilas looked more stunned than Taylor.
Before the Test, Taylor worked with Paul Farbrace, then England assistant coach. Farbrace would wear a hand pad that boxing coaches use to absorb blows from boxers in training. He would then deflect underarm throws off the hand pad to Taylor standing low down, on the balls of his feet.
“A lot of it is about position – not just the positions you have to get into when you go to catch the ball but also the position you need to get into when someone is looking to whack it at you,” Taylor says. “Get as small as you can. The attacking technique is when you are looking to catch the ball but you also need the defensive technique when they are looking to hit you or past you.”
Not that long ago it was a job given to the youngest member of the team, the pup who was expendable in the grand scheme of things. Now more thought goes into putting fielders in the positions that suit their skills. Pope has a similar build and similar athleticism to Taylor, so he can expect a decent run at short leg.
“I think it is becoming more of a specialist position,” says Taylor. “It is going away from the youngest lad goes in there. It still does happen obviously, but it is turning to more of a specialist position because it is vital you take every opportunity in Test cricket.
“There is no point being in there if you are a bit worried about being hit, because then you will not get in a good position to catch it.”
Brian Close was famously brave at short leg. He would stand right under the batsman’s nose, the ball often rebounding off his bare head to one of the other close catchers.