On the fifth day of action during the second round of fixtures in the County Championship, Ollie Pope became the 11th player to reach a century in Division One this season, with five of those players representing Surrey, including Jamie Smith who has achieved this feat twice. Although Surrey drew their opening match, their performance in this game has been impressive, concluding the day at 412 for six.
In contrast, Leicestershire appears to be struggling in their first season back in the top division following their promotion last year. After suffering a defeat against Sussex in their opening game, they found themselves at a disadvantage as Smith and Pope steadily approached their centuries. Leicestershire’s confidence and performance seemed lacking, although they managed to secure a couple of late wickets, which provided minimal relief as they continued to glance at a daunting scoreboard.
A crowd of 4,700 gathered at the Oval on a chilly early spring day, a stark contrast to the familiar environment of Test cricket for those with recent international experience. Nevertheless, with Surrey’s top six players having all represented their country, this match was scrutinized for its potential implications on the national team. Unexpectedly, it was Leicestershire’s Josh Hull who first made a notable impact.
At 21 years old, Hull is approaching the second anniversary of his Test debut, which remains his only international appearance. He was seen as inexperienced when he played against Sri Lanka in September 2024, just days after turning 19. However, his recent performances indicate significant development, suggesting that his previous selection may have been poorly timed rather than inappropriate. While he did not provide a compelling argument for immediate recall to the national side, he has shown improvements in both speed and reliability since his debut. After missing the match against Sussex, he began his season by claiming a wicket in his opening over, dismissing Dom Sibley lbw with an impressive delivery.
As the match progressed, Surrey established a stronghold, and when Hull returned to bowl in the afternoon, he faced a dominant Pope. He delivered a short ball that struck Pope on the helmet and induced an edge from Smith that went wide. Despite his efforts, he could not secure any more wickets and was replaced after a less impactful over, during which both batsmen reached their centuries. In his fourth spell late in the day, Smith greeted him with a powerful pull shot for six, bringing his total to over 150.
Smith’s role in this match varied significantly from his experiences in international cricket. Initially cautious, he scored just one run from his first ten deliveries and managed only four scoring shots from his first 25, three of which were singles. Pope entered the game 13 overs later, surpassing Smith’s score rapidly, having reached 24 runs compared to Smith’s 22, and doing so with half the number of balls faced. However, just before lunch, Smith gained momentum with some loose bowling from Ben Green, who is in his fifth season in the first division. Smith hit three boundaries in quick succession and began to settle into his innings. Although he faced moments of fortune, he continued to impress and was eventually dismissed for 166 off 240 balls by Ajaz Patel in the 90th over.
Despite scoring 100 and 90 against the Lions in an Ashes warm-up match, Pope had a challenging winter, compounded by two quick lbw dismissals from Warwickshire’s Ethan Bamber last week. It had been over seven months since his last first-class fifty, with his previous century dating back to early June against India, making it 21 innings since he reached that milestone.
However, confidence in Pope’s ability remained high among spectators at the Oval. The length of time Dan Lawrence took to come out after Pope was dismissed—caught by Ben Cox off Patel—indicated that no one anticipated a wicket was imminent. Ben Foakes ended the day unbeaten on 62, having been dismissed only once this season, with an impressive average of 226. Leicestershire will need to generate some unexpected performances to turn the tide in their favor.
