England 221 for 3 (Pope 103*, Duckett 86) vs Sri Lanka
Ollie Pope planted his front foot, fixed his eyes on the ball, puffed out his cheeks and cut to the boundary to raise a century that mattered.
Every one matters, of course, but with England all over Sri Lanka on the opening day of this third Test and in a series already won, this was personal.
Pope's seventh Test ton, scored against as many different opposition teams in a first for the game, came amid the intense pressure of four previous failures in a series where he is standing in for injured captain Ben Stokes. That role in itself has thrust Pope under greater scrutiny but Stokes' knowing nod as he applauded the milestone from the changing-room balcony said it all, appreciating a defiant innings that was right up his street.
Moments later, with Pope unbeaten on 103 from as many balls, boos rang out followed by slow clapping from a three-quarters-full Kia Oval as the umpires directed the players from the field for bad light for a second time in the day. On this occasion, the decision was final as stumps were called just before 6.30pm with England 221 for 3, Harry Brook the other not-out batter on 8.
Earlier, play was halted for nearly three hours. Whether the skies were dark enough or the rain heavy enough to keep players off the field for so long was up for debate but once they returned, Ben Duckett and Pope ensured it was raining runs, the pair sharing a 95-run partnership for the second wicket after Dan Lawrence failed to stake his claim as opener for the longer term with another poor innings in the absence of the injured Zak Crawley.
Duckett produced a commanding knock of 86 from just 79 balls before he fell during the afternoon followed by Joe Root, who managed just 13 off 48 balls. But, after scores of 6, 6, 1 and 17 previously in the series, Pope had things covered.
He and Duckett made up for lost time following the first stoppage, which lasted two hours and 50 minutes spanning the lunch break.
Duckett's wayward ramp off Lahiru Kumara bounced just inside the boundary rope at deep third before disappearing into the crowd rather than clearing fine leg as he apparently intended, but no matter for England. At the other end, Pope looked well set too, thumping Kumara through midwicket with beautiful timing moments later.
Duckett continued to toy with Kumara, nailing his next attempt at a ramp shot over the fine-leg fence and guiding a bouncer over deep third for another maximum in the same over.
He survived an appeal for lbw two balls later on umpire's call after Kumara struck him high on the back thigh, but the shot that had been so productive for him - and entertaining for the crowd - proved to be his undoing as Duckett tried to scoop a slower delivery from Milan Rathnayake only for wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal to pouch a simple catch.
Pope stepped up, top-edging Kumara over the keeper's head for six, followed immediately by four through backward point to raise his fifty from 58 balls.
After a relatively quiet period which yielded just four runs in as many overs and coincided with the introduction of Angelo Mathews, Pope broke through again, driving Mathews through the covers for four. He then chanced another boundary between slip and gully with his heart in his mouth for a moment before the gap was pierced.
Root was caught at fine leg by Vishwa Fernando to give Kumara his second wicket but England remained in total control.
The day began with Sri Lanka trying to make good on Dhananjaya de Silva calling correctly at the toss for the third game running. After perilous twin flashes at Asitha Fernando deliveries outside off stump and a fortuitous inside edge off the same bowler which travelled all the way to the fine leg boundary, Duckett was assertive, a clip off his toes through square leg off Vishwa much more assured.
Lawrence, meanwhile, was yet to score after facing 10 balls in five overs and finally made it off the mark when he turned Kumara to square leg and ran two to ironic cheers from the stands.
Duckett raised the tempo when he despatched Rathnayake for consecutive fours over extra cover but the contrast continued with Lawrence, who dropped his head and spun on his heel in the direction of the changeroom even before his mess of a pull shot off Kumara had dropped into the hands of Pathum Nissanka at gully. Lawrence's 5 off 21 balls came after scores of 30, 34, 9 and 7 in the series.
Pope back-cut a short, wide delivery from Rathnayake for four to get going almost immediately and punished a Kumara short ball for six over deep backward square before Duckett struck two fours in three balls off Rathnayake to move to 48 and brought up his fifty by crashing Vishwa through the covers and running three.
But it was safe to say it was Pope's day.
