Ollie Pope Extends Niche Record But May Still Be Dropped

Ollie Pope
Ollie Pope (Credit Kroome111 / Wikipedia)

1967 is a long time ago but typically stubborn Yorkshireman Geoff Boycott can probably still remember it like it was yesterday – despite his best efforts at trying to forget one particular incident. Such is his ego, passion for batting and love of cricket in general, he will probably remember every good shot he hit in an impressive score of 246 not out against India. It was, after all, his highest Test score and, moreover, came at his home ground of Headingley.

However, so slow and painful was his innings, that the dour opener was dropped for the very next game! He faced 555 balls to bring up his record knock but that was on a flat, placcid pitch that was very favorable to batting. Moreover, his scoring was particularly slow on the first day, when he made just 106 despite batting the full six hours. The selectors labelled his batting as selfish, and it included 45 minutes in the morning when he failed to score a single run!

Even so, to make such a big score and be dropped must have really stung. So Boycott may be the man best placed to understand how England’s vice-captain, Ollie Pope, will feel if he is left out against India for his country’s upcoming Tests. Pope made 171 against Zimbabwe from just 166 balls. It was a great innings, albeit against a very poor side, and yet the Surrey man could well find himself dropped for England’s next match.

Bethell Best Bet?


Despite Ollie Pope’s fine performance against Zimbabwe, despite the fact that he was named England vice-captain back in May 2023, and despite his ability to both cover at wicketkeeper and perform admirably all day at short leg, there is a strong feeling he will be dropped for the main event of the Tests against India. In a press conference prior to the Zimbabwe clash, captain Ben Stokes was asked about Jacob Bethell, missing due to the IPL.

Stokes answered in a way that many took to imply the youngster would be returning to the team for the first Test against India, which starts on the 20th of June. He subsequently claimed his words had been twisted and he meant that Bethell would return to the squad but there seems every chance that the exciting Barbados-born player will indeed go straight back into the starting XI.

He has made a huge impact in a short space of time, both on the selectors and in terms of his performances. He is very much a Stokes and Brendon McCullum sort of player and is seen as a player who might thrive under the pressure of an Ashes series. He did well against the Aussies in T20 cricket last year before making his Test debut against New Zealand in November.

He took to the longer format superbly, making 50 not out off just 37 balls in the second innings to help England to victory. He has only played three matches but has three half centuries to his name, one of those a 96 when he seemed set for a brilliant ton. Averaging over 50 and scoring at more than 75 runs per 100 balls is talent is clear. His slow left-arm bowling is an extra string to his bow and gives Stokes another attacking option with the ball and he seems likely to be a mainstay of the England team for many years to come.

So where does that leave Pope? He kept wicket and batted at six in NZ in the absence of Jamie Smith, who missed the tour due to the birth of his child. Pope has had many chances over the years and now boasts 56 Test caps but an average of just 35. He averages under 16 against Australia and less than 25 against India, with over 11% of his career Test runs coming from just two innings against Ireland and Zimbabwe.

Bethell is effectively the incumbent number three, having played in New Zealand, and it seems very likely that he will come in after Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, who both also registered centuries against Zimbabwe. With Joe Root and Harry Brook to follow, then Stokes and Smith, Pope seems set to miss out.

Zimbabwe Ton to Be Remembered for Other Reasons


Pope’s century against Zimbabwe will not be remembered in the same way as Boycott’s double against India should the Surrey man indeed be dropped. But it will be remembered, at least by stats fans, for more positive reasons. Pope extended a rather niche record of his and one that is very unlikely to be broken for a very long time.

In reaching three figures against the Test minnows, Pope became the 30th player to score hundreds against eight or more Test rivals. He has reached batting’s key landmark against Zimbabwe and Ireland, as well as India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies. He may yet add a ninth against Australia, with his highest score against the Aussies currently just 42.

Nine is the record number of different nations any player has made a hundred against, a feat achieved by a number of the game’s greats, including Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara, Kane Williamson and several others (16 have managed this in total). Pope joins Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan as the only English players to have done so against eight different opponents.

However, what separates Pope from his compatriots and indeed everyone else, is that he has only hit eight centuries during his Test career. In other words, his first eight tons have all come against different opponents and no other player comes close to that. Prior to his big score against Zimbabwe, Pope already held the record for this niche stat, having hit his first seven hundreds against seven different nations, something nobody else has done.

England look set to play two Tests against Bangladesh in 2027, so there is a very slim chance that Pope might score his first nine centuries against different teams. That said, with Bethell viewed by many as a generational talent, Pope’s chances could be limited – especially if he hasn’t added further big scores before the tour to Bangladesh. Nonetheless, whatever Pope’s Test career has in store in the future, we fancy his record of eight will last for many years to come.