Ollie Pope, born on 2 January 1998, is a talented English professional cricketer representing both the England cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club. Known for his right-handed batting prowess, Pope occasionally showcases his skills as a wicket-keeper. His Test debut came against India in 2018.
Ollie Pope blasted 196 in the third innings of the 1st Test match between India and England. His knock turned out to be the game changer in England’s win. Pope will hope to replicate his mastery with the bat in the second Test at the Visakhapatnam.
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Ollie Pope Test Records & Stats
In his Test career spanning 39 matches, Ollie Pope has showcased his batting prowess with 2,333 runs at an average of 36.45. He has scored five centuries and eleven half-centuries, with a highest score of 205. Additionally, Pope has been a reliable fielder, taking 50 catches along with one stumping behind the wickets.
| Competition | Test |
|---|---|
| Matches | 39 |
| Runs scored | 2,333 |
| Batting average | 36.45 |
| 100s/50s | 5/11 |
| Top score | 205 |
| Catches/stumpings | 50/1 |
Ollie Pope Test Career
Ollie Pope’s Test cricket journey commenced with his debut in the second Test against India at Lord’s on 9 August 2018, where he contributed 28 runs in England’s resounding victory by an innings. Despite missing out on England’s tour of Sri Lanka later that year, Pope’s impressive performances earned him a spot in the squad for the New Zealand series in 2019. In the second Test at Hamilton, he showcased his talent with a gritty knock of 75 runs.
Pope continued to make significant contributions, including his maiden Test century against South Africa in Port Elizabeth, scoring an unbeaten 135 runs. His consistency earned him recognition, and he was named in England’s squads for various series, including the 2020 England summer, where he played in all six Test matches, scoring 215 runs at an average of 26.9.
However, a shoulder injury during the Pakistan series sidelined him from the squad for England’s 2021 tour of Sri Lanka. Despite this setback, Pope’s determination saw him return to the field for England’s 2021 tour of India, where he played in all four tests, contributing 153 runs.
In the 2022 Test series against New Zealand, Pope’s brilliance was on display again as he scored an impressive 145 runs in the second Test. His stellar performances earned him the vice-captaincy of the England team in May 2023.
However, Pope faced adversity when he suffered a dislocated shoulder in June 2023, leading to several months of rehabilitation. Despite this setback, he made a triumphant return to the field for England’s Test tour of India in 2024, where he played a match-winning innings of 196 runs in the second innings of the first test match, marking the fourth-highest score by an Englishman in India.
Ollie Pope Early Life
Ollie Pope’s cricket journey began during his time at Cranleigh School, where he followed in the footsteps of his great-great-great-great-grandfather, Joseph Merriman, the school’s inaugural headmaster. He honed his skills playing for Guildford and Cranleigh Cricket Clubs while also representing Surrey in various age-group teams.
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Ollie Pope Domestic Career
On 26 August 2016, Pope penned a two-year professional contract with Surrey. Just two days later, he marked his List A debut for Surrey in the semi-final clash of the 2016 Royal London One-Day Cup against Yorkshire.
His first-class debut came on 28 March 2017 for Surrey against Oxford MCCU as part of the Marylebone Cricket Club University fixtures. Pope showcased his prowess by notching his maiden List A half-century on 7 May 2017 against Sussex. Making his mark in T20 cricket, he debuted for Surrey in the 2017 NatWest t20 Blast on 7 July 2017. Pope’s first taste of first-class glory came at the end of the 2017 season when he scored his maiden first-class century against Hampshire at just 19 years old.
During the winter of 2017/18, he ventured into the ECB’s overseas placement program in Australia, representing the Campbelltown-Camden District Cricket Club in the NSW Premier Cricket League. Pope’s stint Down Under was highly fruitful, amassing 994 runs, including three centuries, earning praise from MP Chris Patterson in the New South Wales parliament for his remarkable performances both on and off the field.
The year 2018 marked Pope’s breakthrough, as he notched four centuries and averaged an impressive 70.42 runs in Surrey’s County Championship-winning campaign, earning him the PCA Young Player of the Year award. His stellar form spilled over into 2019, where he emerged as Surrey’s top-scorer in the first-class season, tallying 812 runs at an average of 101, which included three centuries, across just nine innings.
Pope made a comeback into the Surrey side for nine matches of the 2021 County Championship following the disrupted 2020 season due to Covid, where he amassed 861 runs at an average of 78.27. Among his notable innings were scores of 245 against Leicestershire and a career-best 274 against Glamorgan.
In April 2022, he was acquired by the Welsh Fire for the 2022 season of The Hundred.
Ollie Pope Test Stats FAQs
1- How many Test matches has Ollie Pope played for England?
Ollie Pope has played 39 Test matches for England.
2- How many runs has Ollie Pope scored in Test Cricket?
He has scored 2333 runs at an average of 36.45 with 5 centuries to his name.