Pope makes 'terrific' century as England chase down India
Saturday at Headingley. Fancy dress. A group of clergymen took their place on the Western Terrace.
Maybe there was a universe where Ollie Pope joined them in watching from the sidelines. Maybe his place was never under any serious threat from Jacob Bethell.
If it had taken a leap of faith from Ben Stokes to retain his vice-captain at number three for the first Test against India, then Pope picked the perfect time to play the grateful disciple.
A day after Stokes put England under the pump by giving away the chance to bat first, Pope's century offered the captain a way out of purgatory, the number three 100 not out in England's 209-3, 262 behind India's 471.
