Lloyd Pope wonderball steals attention from Joe Mennie five-wicket haul
SOUTH Australian leg-spin prodigy Lloyd Pope says he’s a polar opposite of Shane Warne but embracing the hype following the wonder wrong’un that secured his maiden, first class scalp. See the pearler here.
LEG-SPIN prodigy Lloyd Pope says he’s a polar opposite of Shane Warne but embracing the hype following the wonder wrong’un that secured his maiden, first-class scalp.
Pope, 18, stole the show from five-wicket hero Joe Mennie as South Australia made up for lost time against New South Wales in Adelaide.
“It felt really good to be honest and it was a pretty good performance from Joe. Just being out there was a really good experience,” said Pope, mentored by former Redbacks spinner Aaron O’Brien.
Debutant Pope stunned fellow tweaker Steve O’Keefe (14) with a wrong’un that turned square to win a triumphant lbw shout in the Blues’ 246 first innings.
Kensington product Pope’s wrong’un exhibits more revs and turn than his stock ball and is sure to replicate the success it brought in Australia’s under-19 World Cup campaign last January.
“It was just a bit of a plan to turn it both ways to the tailenders, it worked I guess, pretty good,” said Pope, presented his red cap by former Test leg-spinner Peter McIntyre before play on Tuesday.
“I think the pitch was good for spinners and I was pretty happy.
“There’s isn’t much point going into your shell, I try and back myself in.”
Pope was compared with Warne after taking 8/35 against England at Queenstown in the under-19 World Cup. The flame haired rookie is ready for loft expectations but notes he employs a totally different approach to doyen Warne.
Pope’s killer wrong’un spins more than ‘idol’ Warne’s but not his five variations.
“I guess it is interesting for people to say that but I guess I am a different bowler. I look to his performances and try take all the good stuff but turn it a bit less than him and try bowl a few variations,” said Pope, who changed from medium pace to spin aged 12.
“I guess it (hype) is going to come but makes me pretty humble to play for my state and it put it out of my mind. It is an amazing opportunity and just focusing on playing for my state.”
“It was surreal really.”
Pope, intelligent and articulate, notes he’s only filling in for in-form Australian Twenty20 spinner Adam Zampa.
The kid with bookish looks felt the full force of Australia’s national obsession over finding the next Warne after his 2019 World Cup heroics.
“It was pretty ridiculous, a lot of people started coming out and giving their opinions,” said Pope, who has enjoyed one fleeting meeting with 708-wicket great Warne.
“It is a little bit tricky to try and back yourself if you think something is going right, then you have got 100,000 people telling you’re not bowling well.
“It was quite a different experience.”
Meanwhile, forgotten Test paceman Mennie cut through New South Wales in the first session on day two of a rain-affected Sheffield Shield clash in Adelaide.
South Australian Mennie (5/39) snared three wickets in nine balls to crown a 6/23 Blues collapse after the start of play was delayed by almost three hours.
Unbeaten tailender Trent Copeland (55) put on 35 with O’Keefe then 64 with No.11 Sean Abbott to frustrate a Redbacks unit on the scent of a swift rout. Copeland, who played three Tests against Sri Lanka seven years ago, whisked to his half-century with a six over backward square leg off Nick Winter (1/56).
Abbott was last man out to Pope (2/55) courtesy of a spectacular, athletic, diving catch at mid-off by Jake Weatherald.
South Australia was 2-113 at stumps, trailing the Blues by 133 runs thanks to an unbroken 89-run, third-wicket stand between Callum Ferguson (34) and skipper Jake Lehmann (53)
Copeland and Abbott had made short work of Redbacks openers Jake Weatherald (14) and Conor McInerney (8).
Captaincy agrees with Lehmann who averaged 50 covering for Test batsman Travis Head in the JLT one-day Cup.
Ferguson’s stellar form continues after smacking 328 one-day runs at 54.