Redemption for Pope
unbeaten stand of 136 gives hosts chance to control decider west Indies unable to push on after claiming four wickets
England batsman shines as Cornwall makes big impact
Ollie Pope’s first major Test innings on home soil steered England into a strong position to control this series decider and provided further evidence of the team’s growing maturity at the crease.
England were rallied by two batsmen who had been bit-part players in this series until yesterday, with Pope and Jos Buttler putting on an unbeaten 136 for the fifth wicket, battling their side into the ascendancy just as West Indies sensed an opening.
They turned a wobbly 122 for four into a more solid 258, controlling the game after tea in what could turn out to be a crucial session for the series result. England have crumbled in previous summers in such situations, but West Indies allowed the partnership to flower, lacking the energy to punch through the last pairing of accomplished batsmen with Chris Woakes due in next.
Pope is nine short of his second Test hundred, his first in England, and Buttler strengthened his place in the side with his first half-century since he made 70 in the last Ashes Test of 2019, feeding off his partner’s youthful energy.
Sir Andrew Strauss raised £282,385 on Red for Ruth Day, to help fund the work done by the charity he set up in his late wife’s memory, and Pope’s batting helped to make the occasion in an empty ground. He did not exactly look a million dollars, but it was a valuable enough contribution for England.
He was scratchy at first, scoring boundaries off edges over slips and was clocked on the head attemptollie ing to hook a Shannon Gabriel bouncer. He was nearly caught off a leading edge when he made a mess of a pull, and was fortunate to be the right side of umpire’s call for an lbw on 43. But he played some glorious strokes, running superbly as well as he oozed positive intent, first combining with Rory Burns and then Buttler to make the most of his opportunity to bat at five.
He was nimble-footed against the spinners and scored all around the ground when facing pace, pulling Gabriel in front of square for four and late-cutting Kemar Roach in his 11 boundaries.
Pope started to fulfil his promise last winter at six with a maiden Test hundred in Port Elizabeth. He looked classy making 12 in his first innings of the series – if that does not sound too incongruous for such a low score – but since then two more scores of 12 and a seven left him realising the series was passing him by.
Buttler may never make a Test batsman, but this was a gutsy innings for he knew the significance. A poor Test here with some iffy shots, and a defeat for England, would probably spell the end.
He played a big drive at his first ball, almost yorking himself, but he calmed down, and took 38 balls to reach double figures and had 18 off
54 before really showing his intent by swinging Rahkeem Cornwall for six twice in one over.
He paced his innings as England added 74 in the hour after tea against tiring bowlers. In total, they made 115 between the afternoon break and before the second new ball as Buttler passed his half-century with seven boundaries.
When he reached the landmark, Joe Root was off his feet, applauding. Buttler is such an important pillar of support for Root, he is always consulting him on bowling changes and tactics. He desperately wants him around when they go to Australia in 18 months.
At 246 for four with the floodlights on, the second new ball was crucial but the umpires were overly fussy, stopping play for bad light after just three overs, meaning England can restart this morning.
Cornwall’s gigantic presence was always going to bring attention offspinners rarely attract but England played him well and his only real contribution was a sharp, reflex one-handed catch at first slip.
West Indies picked two off-spinners but bucked logic by bowling first. England have to win to regain the Wisden Trophy, before it is retired after this series, so opted for five bowlers, dropping Zak Crawley and bumping the others up by one to make up for injury confining Ben Stokes to a batting role.
A week ago, Dom Sibley batted for 372 balls. This time, he lasted five, plumb leg before to Roach for a duck. The Root-batting-at-three debate has raged since the days before Brexit and he again failed here, run out by a direct throw from Roston Chase when he called for a single to third man from the non-striker’s end.
West Indies bowled well in the first two sessions, unsettling England with the short ball and Cornwall allowing the quicks to rotate at the other end. Roach was the best, while Gabriel somehow rallied himself from going off with a hamstring injury to last the day.
Stokes took one on the helmet from Roach and top edged another pull. Perhaps the short ball played on his mind when he was bowled through a big gap between bat and pad for 20. Burns has a big score looming, again getting in and looking secure. He made a neat 57 but played a poor shot, falling to Chase’s non turning off spin for the fourth time in 40 balls, Cornwall taking a sharp catch to his right that an athlete like Stokes would have been proud of.