TOUGH GLOVE

Pope has to keep wicket despite his struggles to find batting form

- Keith Webster

OLLIE POPE started a run at the crease five months ago that he will be itching to see the back of when the three-Test series in New Zealand begins tomorrow.

That day, July 27, he made 10 against the West Indies Edgbaston, having hit half-century at Lord's two weeks earlier, then a ton and a half-ton at Trent Bridge a week later.

his dismissal But Birmingham - bowled a in by Shamar Joseph - started a series of low scores that batters often find tough to get out of.

One bad score becomes two, then becomes a habit, then a slump.

After that 10, he scored six, six, one and 17 in two Tests against Sri Lanka before finally hitting 154 at the Oval.