Pope mustered just 30 runs in his first four innings since taking over from the injured Ben Stokes, inviting awkward questions over his ability to bear the weight of the role, but put them to bed in front of his home crowd at the Kia Oval.
His run-a-ball knock of 103 contained 13 fours and two sixes, carrying his side to 221 for three as they took control of proceedings.
Pope has now scored 12 of his 21 first-class centuries at his Surrey headquarters but a first Test ton in South London will mean even more after the scrutiny over his cheap dismissals at Old Trafford and Lord’s.
There was a triumphant ovation for the local hero as he passed three figures for the seventh time but a packed crowd then booed the umpires’ decision to take the teams off for bad light shortly before 6pm.
Just 44.1 overs had been bowled in the day, with the players spending almost three hours off the pitch during an earlier delay. After worries over the sparse crowd on the final day of the previous Test, the decision to curtail play with the floodlights in full effect risked aggravating a paying public who had witnessed less than half of a full day’s play.
The cricket they did see unfolded at a vibrant pace, with England scoring at exactly five an over despite murky skies which promised much for the bowling attack.
The tourists, who surprisingly dropped number one spinner Prabath Jayasuriya to field a four-pronged seam attack, lacked consistency, bite and direction with the ball.
The wickets they did manage were self-inflicted wounds, Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett and Joe Root all guilty of misjudgements. Duckett had most cause for regret, falling for 86 attempting a third pre-meditated scoop in quick succession.
Sri Lanka looked to have got the best of perfect bowling conditions but they were wayward with the new ball and needed an error from Lawrence to salvage anything from the morning session. Lawrence, fresh from two single-figure scores at Lord’s, had just five when he shaped to drag Lahiru Kumara into the leg side but a late change of heart saw him loop an ugly top-edge to gully.
The Surrey batter threw his head back in dismay long before the ball settled in Pathum Nissanka’s hands, aware that the opportunity he has waited more than two years for could be slipping away.
Lawrence had taken 11 balls to get off the mark even as Duckett breezed to a half-century in 48 deliveries. Duckett was particularly dismissive of Milan Rathnayake, charging the seamer’s fifth ball and repeatedly swatting him over mid-off and extra-cover with disdain.
Pope stepped back to launch Kumara for six over deep square moments before the drinks break. Frustration followed when the players were ushered off for bad light at 76 for one after just 15 overs.
When play belatedly resumed at 3.10pm, England attempted to make up for lost time. Duckett twice took a step outside off stump to scoop Kumara, mis-hitting the first for four and nailing the second for six.
He deflected an uppercut over the deep third boundary but the risks were mounting up and he paid the price with a hundred for the taking, once again going to the scoop and this time lobbing Rathnayake straight to wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal.
Pope top-edged the very next ball for six and Root got off the mark with a aerial flick that had leg-gully interested.
Sri Lanka ushered Pope past fifty with a ragged misfield and the runs kept flowing as he steered Angelo Mathews between slip and gully.
Root surprisingly lacked rhythm following his twin centuries at Lord’s last week and departed for 13, slog-sweeping Kumara straight to the boundary fielder.
Pope had 84 at tea and never looked like missing out, reaching 99 before slashing Asitha Fernando for four to take the acclaim. He was just in time, with the end coming two balls later, annoying the locals but sparing a listless Sri Lanka any further damage.
