On the second day of the ongoing one-off Test match between England and Ireland at Lord’s Cricket Ground, Ollie Pope put on an exceptional performance by scoring his maiden double-century in Test cricket, in just 207 balls. His remarkable achievement set a new record for the fastest double-hundred on English soil. Previously, Ian Botham held the record (220 deliveries) against India at the Oval. Pope surpassed that milestone, reaching the landmark in 207 deliveries.
Although he fell on 205 off the next ball he faced, Pope’s innings was truly impressive. His century came off just 163 balls, making it the second-fastest by an English batter, following Ben Stokes’ 163-ball double century, against South Africa, in 2016. Moreover, Pope’s 207-ball double ton ranks as the seventh fastest in the history of Test cricket, with the record still held by Nathan Astle, who achieved his double in 153 balls.
It is worth noting that Pope’s opening partner, Ben Duckett, had a chance to reach a double-century earlier in the day but was dismissed for 182 off 178 balls. The two batsmen had already formed a superb partnership of 252 runs for the second wicket.
After accumulating a substantial lead of 352 runs, England declared their innings. In response, Ireland struggled to resist the impending defeat and lost three wickets. Debutant seamer Josh Tongue made an impressive start to his Test career, taking three wickets. Given the circumstances, it is expected that this four-day test match will conclude within three days.
At the end of the day’s play, Ireland stood at 97-3, trailing England by 255 runs. England had amassed a formidable total of 524-4, achieving an impressive run-rate of 6.33 before declaring after tea.