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England's Test batters Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith have made a strong start to their County Championship campaign amid scrutiny around their Test spots following a poor Ashes series away from home.
Some of England's most prominent Test stars were in action in the ongoing County Championship, with Pope scoring a brilliant 103 for Surrey against Leicestershire, after making 20 and 16 in the opening match against Warwickshire. "I wouldn't say I necessarily felt at my very best throughout the innings, but I tried to just find a stub inside me to find a way to get through the kind of challenging bits," Pope said afterwards as quoted by ICC. "I am doing a bit of work on my game to try and get back to my very best, and managed to get the three figures, and obviously, runs are the currency. So to do that is nice," he added. Pope, England's number three, was one of the biggest disappointments from the tour, scoring just 125 runs in six innings at an average of 20.83, with a best score of 46. His omission from the playing XI in the final two Tests paved way for a competitor of his number three slot, Jacob Bethell. The left-handed batter made a strong case as England's new number three with a classy, lone warrior in the second innings of the Sydney Test, which gave England a 160-run lead and something to fight for. Alongside him, Jamie Smith continued his own push for a place in the Test setup. After a difficult Ashes where he managed 211 runs across 10 innings with just one fifty, the wicketkeeper-batter has responded with authority, following up a 132 at Warwickshire with a commanding 166. The pair's 200-run stand underlined a renewed hunger to reclaim their spots. "I think the way he started the year, especially after a bit of a tough winter for us both, is really pleasing, and I am really happy for him. He's obviously got a lot of hunger to really step up his game, and he has done that so far," Pope expressed. Elsewhere, Shoaib Bashir has also made his presence felt. The young spinner, who was part of the Ashes squad but did not feature in the XI, returned to county action with career-best figures of 4-76 for Derbyshire. Bashir's focus remains on gaining valuable overs and experience as he continues to develop his game ahead of a much-anticipated summer of cricket. "I was a bit expensive when I first came on, but there is a massive job for me to do, and I got to execute my plan. I want to be attacking, but it is a very good wicket, and I have to find a way to manage the scoring," said Bashir. "I am quite young as a spinner and I think we mature quite late. It is very important to get some exposure to the County Championship and to bowl as many overs as I have." As England gear up for a crucial home stretch in the ICC World Test Championship, with series against New Zealand and Pakistan on the horizon from June onwards, performances in county cricket are becoming increasingly significant. (ANI)
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