Ollie Pope backing Surrey to bounce back from Glamorgan reverse in T20 Blast

Ollie Pope is confident Surrey can bounce back from losing narrowly to Glamorgan in the Vitality Blast.

The 23-year-old made 60 in the one-run defeat at Cardiff on Tuesday after carrying Surrey to victory with a cool-headed unbeaten knock of 52 off 35 balls against Middlesex last Friday.

“We’re not going to dwell on it too much,” said Pope. “Cardiff was very disappointing. We did pretty well with the ball to keep Glamorgan to 153, which we felt was a little bit below par, so we were disappointed not to chase that down given the small boundary.

“Both sides bowled well in the middle, but they just outsmarted us a little bit. Losing two early wickets meant we had to rebuild and it was a case, then, of trying to take it as deep as we could.”

Surrey appeared to be doing just that when Jamie Smith (20) joined forces with Pope. But the loss of three wickets in the space of 15 balls saw the baton pass to Kyle Jamieson, who very nearly preserved Surrey’s run of 10 consecutive games won batting second with a whirlwind knock of 31 in 15 deliveries.

“There was a phase when me and Jamie were batting where we needed about 10 an over,” said Pope. “Losing a few more wickets at that point was the crucial phase in the game.

“Kyle is a seriously good striker of the ball and he did a great job. He was gutted not to take us over the line, but his was a great effort.”

Jamie Overton played an even more impressive hand against Middlesex, hitting 24 off 10 balls including three sixes to combine in a victorious 60-run stand for the sixth wicket with Pope.

“That was a great game of cricket on a very good cricket wicket that had something in it for everyone,” said the England man. “Gus Atkinson came in with some crucial wickets at the back end of the Middlesex innings, and Jamie did a great job with the bat.

“Some of that striking was unbelievable. I watched him hit it and I didn’t even need to follow the ball. I just saw it come off the bat and it was six all the way.”

Pope puts his showing in the Vitality Blast down to being given the licence not enjoyed when playing four and five-day red-ball cricket.

“Technical stuff in red-ball cricket is always talked about and there’s a lot of theories,” said Pope.

“So, to be able to go out and be freed up and focus on how you’re going to chase has been good fun. It makes a change from worrying where your hands are or where your head is.”

The 23-year-old also enjoys not experiencing the pressure that playing for England can bring.

He said: “In international cricket you’re being analysed the whole time, and if things go bad you get a load of stick.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD