OLLIE POPE and the Kia Oval has, in recent years, been one of English cricket's great love affairs.
This Thursday, Surrey star Pope returns home for a Test that will decide England's series against South Africa, but also whether their new No3's first summer in the job was merely promising or genuinely prosperous.
Pope's first-class record at the Oval - he averages 88.5 there from 30 innings, including nine hundreds has been both a blessing and a curse.
It has underpinned his excellent firstclass record, both overall (average 49.6), and for Surrey (71.3), but it has also been a stick to beat him with at the lower moments of his Test career, because the Oval has been among the best batting tracks in the country in recent years.
Until his century at Trent Bridge in June, none of his 13 tons in first-class cricket had come north of the Thames.
Pope's detractors would say that when the going has been tough, he has struggled. So far, an excellent firstclass record and an Oval education have only translated into a Test average of exactly 30.
この記事は Evening Standard の September 06, 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Evening Standard の September 06, 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Mass Arrests As US Gaza Riots Spread
Campus clashes with police as US House speaker is caught in protests
Sancho steals the show as Dortmund shock PSG
JADON SANCHO insisted he is not thinking about his future after last night eclipsing Kylian Mbappe to help Borussia Dortmund seize the advantage in their Champions League semi-final.
Title bid is done, says Hayes after Liverpool loss
EMMA HAYES last night conceded Chelsea's WSL title bid \"is done\" after the Blues suffered a dramatic 4-3 defeat at Liverpool.
ANGE: PM STILL FIGHTING TO WIN OVER PLAYERS
SPURS BOSS SAYS MAJORITY’ NEED CONVINCING THAT HIS ATTACKING PHILOSOPHY IS RIGHT WAY FORWARD
Ferrari ready to stake £30m on guru Newey
Link-up with Hamilton is Maranello outfit’s bid to recover glory days
Standard Chartered boosted by 'risk on' clients, says CEO
STANDARD Chartered showed off the benefit of its focus on Asian markets today with a jump in trading income as clients took a more \"risk on\" approach to investing.
Down with the chains and long live independent cafes
PROPER Food, they call it on the noticeboard outside. That is to distinguish the menu from the fake food outlets that have sprung up across the City like Indian balsam or Japanese knotweed on a riverbank.
On Oxford Street I was referred to as the Jew’ since when is this okay?
GIVEN this job evokes a hefty dose of stress, steals too much sleep and facilitates a rather irregular diet - my weekly butter intake must be, what, three blocks? And let's not get into the booze lately, I've been skittish about my health. I'm 34, but my biological age? It must be vampiric.
Whisper it, but Rwanda could work for Sunak
WHEN the government in Dublin admitted this week that migrants are moving to Ireland from Britain because they are fearful of being sent to Rwanda, Rishi Sunak must have been delighted at such an electoral gift.
What it's really like down on Clarkson's farm
Vicky Jessop spent the day talking to Jeremy Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper about chaos, controversy... and why the Diddly Squat farm shop almost landed Clarkson’s girlfriend Lisa Hogan in jail