Ollie Pope is aiming for another big showing at Lord’s after admitting he fell short with the bat during England’s Ashes defeat at Edgbaston.
Pope contributed scores of 31 and 14 in the first Test, cut off lbw by Nathan Lyon in the first innings before losing his off stump to an inswinging yorker from Australia captain Pat Cummins in the second.
The latter was probably the best delivery of the match but failing to cash in on either visit left Pope eager to make up for lost time when the series resumes at Lord’s on Wednesday.
“It’s one game, you try not to look too much into who you are playing just because it’s an Ashes series, but I know that you can be remembered by Ashes series and playing amazing knocks,” he said.
“It does give you that extra bit of fire within yourself. Hopefully I can deliver that over the rest of the series. That first innings was a good time to bat. I got myself in, got to 30-odd, and didn’t play a great shot to be honest. Whenever you walk off for 30-odd on a good pitch you have left some out there. Second dig, I put it down to a nice ball, which I don’t normally do, but hopefully I can keep that out next time.”
One thing that he is unlikely to change is a willingness to get after Lyon. The off-spinner had a match to remember in Birmingham, taking eight wickets and helping his side over the line unexpectedly with the bat in the deciding session, but he was also expensive at times as England refused to let him settle.
“We obviously don’t want to lose eight wickets to him, I think we’re reasonably happy. I think we’re going to keep being really positive against him and try and take our strong options,” he said.
“Those eight wickets he got will make us think ‘Right, what was the best option for me?’ a little bit more. That’s the way we see it. He’s a highly-skilled bowler and knows how to bowl when people are coming at him as well, so it’s going to be a good game of cat and mouse I think.”
If Pope needs any additional motivation at Lord’s, he need only stop to glance at the ground’s famous honours board. Waiting for him there is a freshly-engraved entry with his name next to a career-best score of 205, after he dominated the Ireland attack earlier this month.
Australia’s attack represents a major step change from that which Ireland were able to put out, but there are positive recent memories for Pope to mine.
“It’s different (facing Australia), but I wouldn’t say chalk and cheese,” he said.
“You always have grounds you enjoy batting at, and if you know you’ve had success at a ground it does give you a bit of confidence going into it. That just helps your mindset, it doesn’t mean you are going to score runs but it doesn’t mean you won’t. It’s nice to know you’ve had success on a ground in the past.”
Andre Fletcher smashes unbeaten 84 as West Indies A extend dominance to take 3-1 lead against Nepal
In yet another commanding performance, Andre Fletcher led from the front with an unbeaten 84 as the West Indies A secured a comprehensive 28-run victory over Nepal on Thursday, taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in their five-match T20 series.
Fletcher, who had scored 53 against the hosts on Wednesday, continued his rich vein of form with a scintillating knock of 84 not out from just 54 balls, including nine fours and four sixes. His explosive innings, coupled with Johnson Charles' brisk 58 off 30 balls, propelled the visitors to a formidable total of 209-3 in their allotted 20 overs. The duo shared a pivotal second-wicket partnership of 92 runs in less than nine overs to lay a solid foundation for their team.
Charles, coming off an unbeaten 119 in the previous match, played another impactful cameo, striking three fours and six sixes before his departure. Fabian Allen contributed a quick-fire 33 not out from 19 balls and with Fletcher shared in an unbroken stand of 83, to boost West Indies A beyond the 200-run mark for the second consecutive game.
The Nepalese bowlers struggled to contain the West Indies batsmen, with Kushal Bhurtel being the most successful among them, claiming 2-23 from his four overs.
In response, Nepal's chase was anchored by a valiant effort from their captain, Rohit Paudel, who blazed his way to 82 off just 47 deliveries, featuring seven fours and five sixes. However, Paudel lacked substantial support from his teammates as Nepal faltered and eventually folded for 181.
Apart from Paudel, Sundeep Jora, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Gulsan Jha contributed 19 each but failed to capitalize on their starts against a disciplined West Indies bowling attack. Matthew Forde and Hayden Walsh Jr starred with the ball, claiming three wickets each, while Fabian Allen chipped in with 2-34. Gudakesh Motie, despite being expensive, managed to pick up two crucial wickets.
With this victory, West Indies A have taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series, setting the stage for the final match scheduled to be played on Saturday. The dominant display by the tourists bodes well for their confidence heading into the final encounter and also ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, with Cricket West Indies set to announce their squad for the tournament on June 1.
Cricket West Indies to reveal squad for ICC T20 World Cup Friday, May 3
Cricket West Indies (CWI) is gearing up to unveil its squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup during a highly anticipated live press conference in Barbados on Friday, May 3. The event will feature CWI's Lead Selector, the Most Honourable Dr. Desmond Haynes, and Head Coach Daren Sammy alongside CWI Chief Executive Officer Johnny Grave.
In a statement, Johnny Grave expressed the organization's excitement about the impending announcement and highlighted the decision to host a live press conference as a means to directly engage with fans and media.
"Emphasizing the significance of this moment, we chose to host a live press conference to engage with fans and media directly. We also requested permission from the ICC to align our announcement with this event," said Johnny Grave.
The announcement comes amidst increasing excitement as local box offices across the region open on Thursday, May 2, allowing fans to secure their tickets for the tournament. Additionally, CWI will be releasing the official tournament song on the same day, further adding to the anticipation building around the event.
"Excitement is mounting as local box offices open across the region on Thursday, May 2, and we are equally thrilled to release the official tournament song on the same day. Anticipation is building, and we can't wait to share this journey with cricket enthusiasts worldwide," Grave added.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, set to commence on June 1, will be co-hosted in the Caribbean and the United States, culminating with the finals scheduled to take place in Barbados. With preparations in full swing, CWI's squad announcement promises to be a significant moment in the lead-up to this highly anticipated global cricketing event. Stay tuned for the unveiling of the squad and the exciting journey ahead for Cricket West Indies at the ICC T20 World Cup.
IPL: Punjab Kings spinners frustrate CSK in routine win
Punjab Kings eased to back-to-back wins in the Indian Premier League on Wednesday, their spinners doing the damage as they claimed a seven-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings.
The Kings chased down an IPL-record of 262 with eight balls to spare to beat Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday, but they didn't need anywhere near that level of big hitting to clinch their first set of consecutive victories this year.
Spinners Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar made it a far more comfortable outing for Punjab, finishing with two wickets apiece and giving up just 33 runs between them through eight overs.
Ruturaj Gaikwad did his best to keep CSK in it with his 62 off 48 balls, but they always looked unlikely to defend a middling score of 162, particularly when Deepak Chahar pulled up two deliveries into the Punjab innings and walked gingerly from the field.
Richard Gleeson dismissed Prabhsimran Singh for 13 on his IPL debut, but that was as good as it got for Chennai as Jonny Bairstow (46 off 30) and Rilee Rossouw (43 off 25) steadily ate away at their score.
The Super Kings' outing was summed up by Sam Curran's wayward drive spinning away from Shivam Dube at the boundary for a four late on, and Punjab wrapped up their most comfortable win of the season with 13 balls to spare.
Data Debrief: Kings maintain Chennai hoodoo
The Kings' upturn may have come a little too late to give them a genuine shot at the play-offs, but for Chennai, it was a case of more frustration against their bogey team.
Punjab have now won their last five matches against the Super Kings, who have seen their title defence stall with a run of three defeats in four outings.
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