England’s Ollie Pope still covets No 3 slot but happy to have ‘fun’ further down

‘If I was batting at three, I’d have played the same way’
Batter grateful for advice at Surrey from Alec Stewart

Ollie Pope enjoys wicketkeeping and batting down the order. This much was clear after the first two days in Christchurch, where his glove work went unnoticed for the right reasons and his precious 77 with the bat helped swing matters England’s way.

But even if England’s vice-captain continues the dual role for the remainder of this New Zealand tour – Durham’s Ollie Robinson is flying out as an alternative option following Jordan Cox’s broken thumb – there remains a desire to resume his spot at No 3. This despite Pope leaving the 2-1 series defeat in Pakistan with only 59 runs to his name and questions swirling about his suitability for the role’s demands.

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