Moments before he was dismissed for his latest no-man’s-land contribution to an England scorecard, Ollie Pope sliced left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel to third man. Pope threw his bat in its general direction, and edged behind to Tom Blundell for 19. For New Zealand, who had taken three quick wickets after lunch but then allowed Pope and Rory Burns to add 42, it was a welcome free gift. And in that respect Pope embodies an England batting line-up that can’t quite shake off the charge it is forever in transition. But you feel Pope needs to take a step back, a deep breath, and above all a bit of time.

Source: Daily Mail June 10, 2021 21:33 UTC