Ollie Pope places pedal to steel on Oval dual carriageway with career-best 274

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Surrey batter commits to Ashes availability as Surrey rack up 722 for 4 towards Glamorgan

Surrey 722 for 4 declared (Pope 274, Amla 163, Smith 138, Patel 62, Foakes 53*) drew with Glamorgan 672 for six declared (C Cooke 205*, Lloyd 121, Carlson 69, J Cooke 68, Douthwaite 59, Virdi 3-140)

Ollie Pope piled at the easiest ranking of his skilled profession and took his firstclass moderate at The Kia Oval to a Bradmanesque 99.94 at the ultimate day of Surrey’s painstaking draw with Glamorgan, by which handiest 10 wickets fell throughout a dozen periods.

Pope, captaining Surrey for the primary time with Rory Burns rested through the ECB, resumed unbeaten on 95 without a prospect of a end result at the ultimate day, and feasted on a nutrition of part-time spin, scoring freely all the way through on his method to 274 sooner than he used to be castled at the stroke of tea to provide Hamish Rutherford – bowling left-arm orthodox spin – a maiden firstclass wicket in his one hundred and fifteenth recreation.

And not using a signal of degradation within the flattest of pitches and Glamorgan resting their weary seamers because the season approached its (anti)climax, batting used to be hardly ever taxing. Hashim Amla made 163, including 362 for the 3rd wicket with Pope sooner than chipping Kiran Carlson’s offbreak to mid-on, whilst there used to be an unbeaten 53 for Ben Foakes in his first innings since he tore a hamstring in Would possibly.

Rikki Clarke made 12 now not out on his ultimate day as a qualified cricketer and used to be given a guard of honour through Glamorgan’s fielders as he walked out after tea, following his sign-off at Surrey’s end-of-season dinner on Thursday night time. All 11 Glamorgan gamers bowled at some level right through their 196 overs within the box, with wicketkeeper Chris Cooke sharing the brand new ball with Carlson, trundling in to bowl medium tempo with Michael Hogan, the veteran seamer, taking the gloves; the shaggy dog story went spherical that the most productive hope for some pleasure could be local weather activists mistaking the pitch for the M25.

This used to be the second one time this season that Surrey have performed a Championship recreation on an Oval pitch providing no help for bowlers following their run-fest towards Leicestershire in the second one spherical of video games, and whilst the outside made this ultimate day of the summer time a dreary spectacle in spite of the brilliant sunshine, Pope insisted that there used to be advantage in taking part in on this kind of pitch.

“A part of taking part in on all these wickets is difficult your self and being as mentally switched on as you’ll be able to for so long as you’ll be able to be,” Pope stated afterwards. “It is a type of wickets that permits you to take a look at a couple of issues and practise a couple of issues together with your actions, and spot what works neatly for you as neatly. You’ll be able to achieve so much from it as a batter.

“I assumed if I used to be going to get 300, I would possibly as neatly attempt to do it in taste, and I stopped up with my poles knocked out, however that is simply the best way it’s. On account of the character of the wicket it wasn’t essentially probably the most difficult of cases to be in however I had excellent amusing batting with Hash available in the market – he watches carefully. If he sees the rest for your recreation he will let you know, even the smallest bits and bobs, and we had numerous amusing available in the market.”

Pope will take two weeks off after this recreation in a bid to modify off from cricket forward of a most likely Ashes excursion this iciness, and the innings ended what has been a unusual summer time for him. He has been usually dominant within the Championship, completing the season with 861 runs at 78.27, however performed handiest 3 Checks via a mix of harm and choice.

“I believe like from a non-public viewpoint like I have been in excellent shape all season,” he stated. “I have felt continuously like I must be scoring giant runs all the way through and I have controlled to position a couple of giant rankings in combination. It is irritating whilst you get an harm like that which places you out of variety for one recreation after which you’re feeling like you are chasing your tail slightly bit, however it is all the time an honour to drag on an England or Surrey blouse every time decided on.

“Coming from the England stuff into the Surrey stuff is usually a problem on the finish of the season – simply mentally switching your self onto the other demanding situations that county cricket produces. It is been a stop-start time which is maddening as a result of, as a participant, you simply wish to play the entire time in reality.”

Pope additionally showed that he could be to be had to excursion Australia, with England’s gamers because of obtain additional info at the most likely restrictions they’ll face within the coming days.

“It is been a protracted season – that India excursion rolled into a protracted county season and global summer time – so it is going to be great simply to have two weeks clear of cricket, now not in reality choosing up a bat, after which delivery coaching laborious once more for probably an Ashes collection,” he stated. “Each time you get slightly ruin and an opportunity to mentally refresh and reset, you have to take it, and use it on your merit so you return hungry and able to head.

“Speaking as a man who performs one structure nowadays for England – and I do not need a female friend or spouse, children or the rest – I am a type of guys that it does not in reality subject for me, that point clear of house. I’d be to be had for the [Ashes] excursion, however I am some of the handiest ones in that circumstance with out a circle of relatives for myself and simply taking part in the only shape.”

Matt Curler is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98

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