Australia · Bowler

Lloyd Pope: Stats, 8/35 Record and 62 BBL Wickets

Lloyd Pope is an Australian right-arm leg-spinner contracted to South Australia and Adelaide Strikers. Born in Adelaide on 1 December 1999, he was 26 on 25 August 2026. His defining youth performance remains 8 for 35 against England at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, still the tournament's best bowling figures. Pope has since taken 63 first-class wickets, 75 senior T20 wickets and 62 Big Bash wickets, earned consecutive BBL Team of the Tournament selections and made one appearance in Los Angeles Knight Riders' 2026 MLC title-winning campaign.

By StumpScope Cricket Desk · Edited by StumpScope Editorial Team

Right-handedRight-arm leg spin bowlerBorn 1 December 1999

Current squadAdelaide StrikersBig Bash League · Contracted for BBL|16 after consecutive Team of the Tournament selections

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Full nameLloyd Aylmer James Pope

Age26As of 25 August 2026

Date of birth1 December 1999Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Batting styleRight-handed

Bowling styleRight-arm leg spin

Career overview

Lloyd Pope cricket career

Full name: Lloyd Aylmer James Pope; born in Adelaide on 1 December 1999 and aged 26 on 25 August 2026.

Right-handed batter and specialist right-arm leg-spinner whose wrong'un is a major variation.

Took 8 for 35 as Australia defended 127 against England in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup quarter-final.

Became the youngest bowler to take seven wickets in a Sheffield Shield innings when he claimed 7 for 87 in 2018.

Recorded 15 wickets in both BBL|14 and BBL|15 and made the official Team of the Tournament in each season.

Current Big Bash record: 62 wickets from 50 matches, with best figures of 4 for 22.

Career story

Lloyd Pope career and playing journey

Who is Lloyd Pope?

Lloyd Pope is an Australian specialist leg-spin bowler who represents South Australia in domestic cricket and Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League. His full name is Lloyd Aylmer James Pope. He bats right-handed, bowls right-arm leg spin and has built his career around attacking wrist-spin rather than batting volume.

The current career snapshot records 23 first-class matches, 22 List A matches and 67 senior T20 matches. His 50 Big Bash appearances are included inside the broader T20 total, so the format and competition rows describe overlapping scopes and should not be added together.

Pope's career has not followed one smooth line. He became internationally known through a record Under-19 spell, made a historic start in the Sheffield Shield, lost senior places during difficult periods and then rebuilt his short-form career with Adelaide. That rise, interruption and return explain the player more accurately than a list of teams alone.

How old is Lloyd Pope and where was he born?

Lloyd Pope was 26 years old on 25 August 2026. He was born on 1 December 1999 in Adelaide, South Australia, and SACA describes him as an Adelaide Hills local who plays club cricket for Kensington.

He is listed at international youth, state, county and franchise level under the same full name and birth date. That identity trail matters because the surname Pope also appears elsewhere in Australian and English cricket; no record for Ollie Pope or another player belongs in Lloyd Pope's statistics.

His current cricket is still centred on South Australia. Los Angeles Knight Riders supplied a 2026 franchise opportunity, but the upcoming contracts confirmed after that tournament are South Australia's 2026/27 state deal and Adelaide Strikers' BBL|16 agreement.

What type of bowler is Lloyd Pope?

Pope is a right-arm leg-spinner whose main variations are the stock leg-break and the wrong'un. Cricket Australia's career story describes a bowler who turns the ball both ways, while SACA and Adelaide Strikers consistently classify him as a leg-spinner.

One Cricket Australia personal-details field currently says right-arm off spin, but the same page's biography, SACA's official profile, match reports and scorecards identify leg spin. The repeated cricket evidence therefore supports right-arm leg spin rather than off spin.

His approach is attacking. A wrist-spinner can concede boundaries while searching for wickets, and Pope's career economy rates reflect that trade-off. The useful assessment combines wickets, average, economy, match phase and conditions instead of treating any one number as a complete verdict.

How did Lloyd Pope reach Australia's Under-19 team?

Pope entered the national youth pathway before his record World Cup spell. Cricket Australia says he took 15 wickets in five matches for Australia Under-19s against Sri Lanka in April 2017, then received a South Australia rookie contract for the 2017/18 season at age 17.

Australia selected him for the 2018 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. He took two wickets against Zimbabwe during the group stage and finished the tournament with 11 wickets, the most for Australia, but one quarter-final performance became the defining result.

The sequence is important: the 8 for 35 did not appear from nowhere. It followed state development, an international youth series and selection in a balanced Australian squad that also included Jason Sangha, Nathan McSweeney, Will Sutherland and Xavier Bartlett.

Why is Lloyd Pope's 8 for 35 an Under-19 World Cup record?

Pope took 8 for 35 from 9.4 overs against England in the Under-19 World Cup quarter-final at Queenstown on 23 January 2018. Australia had been dismissed for 127, but England collapsed from 47 without loss to 96 all out and lost by 31 runs.

The spell remains the best bowling return in Under-19 World Cup history. Pope first had Liam Banks stumped, then bowled captain Harry Brook first ball with a wrong'un. Tom Banton made 58, yet Pope and captain Jason Sangha combined repeatedly as England lost all ten wickets for 49 runs.

An official SACA biography currently prints 8 for 53, but that figure conflicts with the ICC report, Cricket Australia match report and score. The scorecard-supported record is 8 for 35. Resolving that typo matters because simply repeating every official page would publish two incompatible versions of the same achievement.

How did Lloyd Pope start in the Sheffield Shield?

Pope made his first-class debut for South Australia against New South Wales on 16 October 2018. In only his second Shield match, against Queensland later that month, he took 7 for 87 as the Bulls were bowled out for 231.

At 18 years and 328 days, he became the youngest bowler to take seven wickets in a Sheffield Shield innings, passing a record held by Doug Walters since 1965. Three wickets came from wrong'uns, reinforcing why the variation attracted so much attention after the Under-19 World Cup.

The early milestone did not make first-class cricket easy. Cricket Australia later recorded that his next 117 overs produced only one wicket for 423 runs. Those figures show the contradiction at the heart of his red-ball development: exceptional wicket-taking peaks arrived alongside long, expensive stretches.

What did Lloyd Pope change after his difficult Shield start?

Pope responded by putting more work into his stock leg-break rather than relying so heavily on the wrong'un. That adjustment produced 5 for 94 against Western Australia on the opening day of the 2020/21 Shield season.

The haul made him the first leg-spinner in 50 years to take five wickets on the opening day of a Shield season. It was still an expensive five-for, but the performance showed a broader method: use the stock ball to create pressure and keep the variation as a weapon rather than the whole plan.

South Australia continued to manage the risk-reward balance. Teammates and coaches publicly acknowledged that attacking leg-spin can leak runs, especially on flat first-day pitches. Pope's first-class average remains high, so the development story should include both the breakthroughs and the cost.

How did Lloyd Pope take 6 for 74 against Victoria?

Pope produced his third first-class five-wicket haul against Victoria at Adelaide Oval on 4 November 2024. Chasing 345 on the final day, Victoria were bowled out as Pope took 6 for 74 and South Australia won by 138 runs.

The spell ended a nine-year wait for a Shield win over Victoria. Pope removed established and lower-order batters during the final-day push, including late wickets that stopped Campbell Kellaway and the tail from saving the match.

This performance came after several seasons in which senior red-ball opportunities had been limited. It did not erase the wider average, but it confirmed that his 7 for 87 was not his only match-shaping first-class spell.

What are Lloyd Pope's first-class and List A statistics?

The career table dated 26 July 2026 records 23 first-class matches, 63 wickets at 47.41 and best figures of 7 for 87. Pope has three five-wicket innings, 175 runs at 10.29 and a highest score of 36.

His List A record stands at 22 matches, 30 wickets at 34.60 and best figures of 4 for 78. He has 31 runs with a highest score of 12 not out. These are senior domestic format totals, not international ODI statistics; Pope has not played a senior match for Australia.

The tables preserve batting because it is part of the record, but the numbers support specialist bowler rather than all-rounder. His value is assessed mainly through wrist-spin, while lower-order resistance is occasional rather than a central selection case.

What did Lloyd Pope achieve with Sydney Sixers?

Sydney Sixers signed Pope before BBL|08 after Adelaide's roster had largely filled. He made his T20 debut against Perth Scorchers on 22 December 2018 and spent five seasons in the Sixers system.

His strongest Sixers campaign came in BBL|09, when he took 10 wickets from eight matches. Sydney won the title, although Nathan Lyon replaced Pope in the XI for the final. Pope therefore contributed during the championship season without being described as a final-match player.

By the end of BBL|12 he had fallen out of the regular senior side. That period matters to his later comeback: Adelaide did not acquire a permanently established BBL starter but a South Australian spinner who had been working in Premier and second-team cricket.

How did Lloyd Pope revive his BBL career with Adelaide Strikers?

Adelaide brought Pope into BBL|13 as a local replacement player for Travis Head. He debuted for the Strikers against Perth in January 2024 and quickly formed a double-leg-spin partnership with Cameron Boyce.

The change helped Adelaide recover from the bottom of the table and win five consecutive matches. Pope took 4 for 22 against Sydney Thunder to secure a finals place, then 4 for 24 in the Knockout as Adelaide dismissed Perth for 105 and won by 50 runs.

Pope and Boyce combined for seven wickets in that Knockout. Pope was Player of the Match after removing Marcus Harris, Aaron Hardie, Andrew Tye and Jason Behrendorff. It was a tactical success on a Perth surface normally associated with pace, not evidence that every venue should be attacked with the same combination.

How long is Lloyd Pope's Adelaide Strikers contract?

Adelaide Strikers signed Pope to a three-year deal in July 2024 after his BBL|13 comeback. The agreement covers BBL|14, BBL|15 and BBL|16, placing him in the club's current contracted core for the 2026/27 season.

The club's July 2026 schedule announcement named ten contracted players, including Pope, while saying the rest of the squad would be finalised later. That is a confirmed contract, not a guarantee of selection in all ten matches or proof that the roster is complete.

The three-year term is public, but the salary is not. Contract length can establish sporting continuity without establishing annual pay, bonuses, sponsorship income or total career earnings.

Why was Lloyd Pope selected in the BBL|14 Team of the Tournament?

Pope took 15 wickets in BBL|14 at an average of 21.13. The competition's eight coaches voted him into the official Team of the Tournament, his first selection in that XI.

His season recovered after a difficult start. A Player of the Match spell of 3 for 21 against Melbourne Stars helped drive the turnaround, and he took multiple wickets against Brisbane Heat twice, Melbourne Renegades, Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Sixers.

Adelaide finished last, so the individual honour should not be confused with team success. Pope ended only two wickets behind Golden Arm winner Jason Behrendorff, providing a strong season-long bowling result inside a poor campaign for the club.

How did Lloyd Pope follow that with 15 wickets in BBL|15?

Pope again took 15 wickets in BBL|15, this time from ten matches at an average of about 19.07. He was Adelaide's leading wicket-taker, the equal-leading spinner across the competition and a second consecutive Team of the Tournament selection.

His best return was 4 for 23 against Perth Scorchers on 4 January 2026. Pope and Tabraiz Shamsi helped restrict Perth to 153 for eight, although Adelaide were bowled out for 120 and lost by 33 runs. A strong bowling performance can still belong to a defeat.

Coach Tim Paine highlighted the difficulty of defending Adelaide Oval's short square boundaries and Pope's ability to operate from either end. His season economy of 8.17 added context to the wickets, while Adelaide's 4–6 record and sixth-place finish kept the team out of the finals.

What is Lloyd Pope's current Big Bash record?

Cricket Australia's current table gives Pope 62 wickets from 50 Big Bash matches, with best figures of 4 for 22. He has bowled 164 overs, conceded 1,374 runs, averaged 22.16 and recorded an economy rate of 8.38.

The record combines 24 matches for Sydney Sixers with 26 for Adelaide Strikers. It also includes two four-wicket performances for Adelaide—4 for 22 against Sydney Thunder and 4 for 24 against Perth—as well as the two 15-wicket seasons that followed.

His 14 Big Bash runs from ten innings confirm that batting is not part of the main value proposition. Pope is selected to take wickets through the middle overs and challenge batters with turn and variation.

What happened during Lloyd Pope's Northamptonshire spell?

Northamptonshire signed Pope for the 2025 Vitality Blast after Ashton Agar withdrew with a calf injury. The county and ECB both listed Pope as an overseas leg-spinner for the group stage.

He played in the Blast and also made two first-class appearances during the Kookaburra-ball rounds. Cricket Australia's county review recorded one wicket in each innings against Middlesex, giving him two wickets at 50.50 in that short first-class spell.

The county stint widened his experience without creating a permanent current-team claim. Northamptonshire belongs in his 2025 career path; South Australia and Adelaide Strikers hold the contracts relevant to the 2026/27 Australian season.

What did Lloyd Pope do in Major League Cricket 2026?

Los Angeles Knight Riders selected Pope for the 2026 MLC season, but he made one playing appearance. Against San Francisco Unicorns on 10 July local time, he bowled four overs for 23 runs, took one wicket and helped LAKR win by 11 runs.

Pope was not in the XI for the Qualifier or the one-run final win over Washington Freedom. LAKR won its first MLC title, so Pope was part of the title-winning campaign and contributed in one league match; he was not a final-match performer.

That one appearance moved his senior T20 total to 67 matches and 75 wickets at the table cutoff. It is useful current context, but a one-match sample cannot establish a separate long-term MLC trend.

What is Lloyd Pope's complete senior T20 record?

The dated career snapshot lists 67 senior T20 matches and 75 wickets at 24.45. Pope has bowled 1,290 balls, recorded best figures of 4 for 22 and taken three four-wicket hauls.

The aggregate covers Big Bash, the 2025 Blast and the 2026 MLC appearance. It does not include Under-19 one-day cricket or first-class wickets, and the 62 Big Bash wickets are already contained within the 75 rather than sitting beside them as extra wickets.

His calculated economy is about 8.53 and his strike rate about 17.2 balls per wicket. Those rates fit an attacking spinner with a substantial short-form sample, while the competition-by-competition splits show where most of the volume was produced.

What is Lloyd Pope's latest South Australia status?

South Australia named Pope in its men's squad for 2026/27. The list confirms his state contract alongside fellow spinners and all-round options rather than guaranteeing a place in every Shield or One-Day Cup XI.

Cricket Australia also selected him for an August 2026 development trip to the MRF Academy in India. The programme exposes Australian players to subcontinental conditions and specialist development, but selection for the trip is not a senior Australia cap.

These two records show that Pope remains inside the state and national development systems. Any future senior international claim must still wait for an actual Australia selection and appearance.

Has Lloyd Pope played for Australia?

Pope represented Australia at Under-19 level but has not played a senior Test, ODI or T20I. His Under-19 World Cup record and Cricket Australia development selections should not be converted into a senior international cap.

He has also appeared for representative teams such as the Prime Minister's XI. Those fixtures can be valuable pathway experiences, yet they remain separate from official senior Australia statistics.

The distinction prevents a common profile error: an Australian flag, youth cap or national development tour does not prove a senior international debut. Pope's current senior career is domestic and franchise cricket.

What is known about Lloyd Pope's salary and net worth?

Adelaide Strikers has disclosed Pope's three-year contract term but not its financial value. A registration document or auction reserve price in another competition would show only a possible entry point, not salary actually earned.

No audited public record reviewed for this profile establishes Lloyd Pope's net worth, assets, liabilities, endorsements or take-home income. Unsourced biography-site estimates therefore are not presented as facts.

The defensible financial summary is limited: Pope has held state, Big Bash, county and MLC contracts, while his salary and personal wealth remain private. Team membership alone cannot be converted into a reliable earnings figure.

What is publicly known about Lloyd Pope's family and relationships?

Reliable cricket sources establish Pope's Adelaide upbringing and Kensington club connection but do not provide a dependable current account of his parents, siblings or wider family. Similar surnames should not be used to create a relationship without direct evidence.

No reliable current source reviewed for this profile confirms that Pope has a wife, girlfriend or children. That does not prove he is single; it means his present relationship status is not established in sources suitable for publication.

A cricket biography can be complete without filling private-life fields from social speculation. Pope's youth pathway, record spells, setbacks, contracts and competition performances supply the relevant biographical substance.

What are Lloyd Pope's main career achievements?

Pope's headline achievement remains the Under-19 World Cup record of 8 for 35, a spell that turned a likely defeat into a 31-run quarter-final win. His 7 for 87 later made him the youngest seven-wicket bowler in Sheffield Shield history.

His senior career added a BBL title contribution with Sydney Sixers, three first-class five-wicket innings, 4 for 24 in Adelaide's 2024 Knockout win and consecutive official BBL Team of the Tournament selections after taking 15 wickets in both BBL|14 and BBL|15.

The 2026 record adds 62 career BBL wickets, one MLC appearance in LAKR's title season, a current South Australia contract and a BBL|16 deal. Those achievements show a career that moved from spectacular youth promise to a more durable short-form role after genuine setbacks.

Lloyd Pope records

Lloyd Pope career statistics and records

Batting, bowling and fielding figures are kept separate by competition and format.

First-class — through 26 July 202623matches

Batting

Innings: 33
Runs: 175
High score: 36
Average: 10.29
Strike rate: 33.65
Not outs: 16
100s / 50s: 0 / 0

Bowling & fielding

Innings: 41
Wickets: 63
Best bowling: 7/87
Average: 47.41
Economy: 4.12
Strike rate: 68.95
Balls: 4,344
Catches / stumpings: 9
5w / 10w: 3 / 0

List A — through 26 July 202622matches

Batting

Innings: 12
Runs: 31
High score: 12*
Average: 7.75
Strike rate: 49.20
Not outs: 8
100s / 50s: 0 / 0

Bowling & fielding

Innings: 22
Wickets: 30
Best bowling: 4/78
Average: 34.60
Economy: 5.79
Strike rate: 35.83
Balls: 1,075
Catches / stumpings: 4
5w / 10w: 0 / 0

T20 — through 26 July 202667matches

Batting

Innings: 14
Runs: 18
High score: 5
Average: 2.25
Strike rate: 40.00
Not outs: 6
100s / 50s: 0 / 0

Bowling & fielding

Innings: 67
Wickets: 75
Best bowling: 4/22
Average: 24.45
Economy: 8.53
Strike rate: 17.20
Balls: 1,290
Catches / stumpings: 9
5w / 10w: 0 / 0

Big Bash League — through BBL|1550matches

Batting

Innings: 10
Runs: 14
High score: 5
Average: 2.00
Strike rate: 37.84
Not outs: 3
100s / 50s: 0 / 0

Bowling & fielding

Innings: 50
Wickets: 62
Best bowling: 4/22
Average: 22.16
Economy: 8.38
Strike rate: 15.87
Balls: 984
Catches / stumpings: 5
5w / 10w: 0 / 0

Major League Cricket 20261matches

Batting

Innings: 0
Runs: 0
High score: Did not bat
Not outs: 0
100s / 50s: 0 / 0

Bowling & fielding

Innings: 1
Wickets: 1
Best bowling: 1/23
Average: 23.00
Economy: 5.75
Strike rate: 24.00
Balls: 24
Catches / stumpings: 0
5w / 10w: 0 / 0

Only fields published by the named source are shown; unavailable values are not guessed.

Career chronology

Debut and last listed match

Australia Under-19

Debut

April 2017 series against Sri Lanka

Last listed match

2018 Under-19 World Cup; 8/35 in the quarter-final

First-class

Debut

16 October 2018 — South Australia v New South Wales

Last listed match

Career table through 26 July 2026

List A

Debut

26 September 2019 — South Australia v New South Wales

Last listed match

Career table through 26 July 2026

Big Bash

Debut

22 December 2018 — Sydney Sixers v Perth Scorchers

Last listed match

Contracted to Adelaide Strikers for BBL|16

MLC

Debut

10 July 2026 — Los Angeles Knight Riders v San Francisco Unicorns

Last listed match

One appearance in LAKR's 2026 title campaign

Career achievements

Career achievements and milestones

Took 8 for 35 against England in 2018, the best bowling figures in Under-19 World Cup history.
Became the youngest bowler to take seven wickets in a Sheffield Shield innings with 7 for 87 in 2018.
Took 10 wickets in eight matches during Sydney Sixers' BBL|09 championship season.
Became the first leg-spinner in 50 years to take five wickets on the opening day of a Shield season in 2020.
Took 6 for 74 to complete South Australia's 138-run Shield win over Victoria in November 2024.
Won Player of the Match with 4 for 24 in Adelaide Strikers' 2024 BBL Knockout win over Perth Scorchers.
Took 15 wickets and made the official BBL Team of the Tournament in both BBL|14 and BBL|15.
Reached 62 wickets from 50 Big Bash matches and is contracted to Adelaide Strikers for BBL|16.

Reader questions

Lloyd Pope FAQ

How old is Lloyd Pope?

Lloyd Pope was born on 1 December 1999 and was 26 years old on 25 August 2026.

What type of bowler is Lloyd Pope?

Pope is a right-arm leg-spinner. His stock leg-break and wrong'un allow him to turn the ball in both directions.

What is Lloyd Pope's Under-19 World Cup record?

He took 8 for 35 against England in the 2018 quarter-final, the best bowling figures in Under-19 World Cup history, as Australia defended 127 and won by 31 runs.

Has Lloyd Pope played for Australia?

He represented Australia Under-19s but has not played a senior Test, ODI or T20I for Australia.

How many Big Bash wickets does Lloyd Pope have?

Cricket Australia's table through BBL|15 records 62 wickets from 50 matches, with best figures of 4 for 22.

Which Big Bash teams has Lloyd Pope played for?

He played for Sydney Sixers before joining Adelaide Strikers during BBL|13. He is contracted to the Strikers for BBL|16.

Did Lloyd Pope play in Major League Cricket?

Yes. He played one match for Los Angeles Knight Riders in 2026, taking 1 for 23 against San Francisco Unicorns. LAKR later won the title, but Pope was not in the final XI.

What is Lloyd Pope's best first-class bowling?

His best first-class figures are 7 for 87 for South Australia against Queensland in October 2018.

What is Lloyd Pope's net worth?

No audited public record reviewed for this profile establishes Lloyd Pope's net worth, so no estimate is presented as fact.

Is Lloyd Pope married or does he have a girlfriend?

No reliable current source reviewed for this profile confirms a wife or girlfriend. His relationship status is therefore not stated as fact.

Conclusion

Lloyd Pope's career is defined by more than one extraordinary youth spell. The 8 for 35 remains an Under-19 World Cup record, while 7 for 87, 6 for 74 and three first-class five-wicket innings show that his wrist-spin has also changed senior red-ball matches.

His most sustained success has come in the Big Bash. Consecutive 15-wicket seasons, back-to-back Team of the Tournament selections and 62 career BBL wickets rebuilt a path that had stalled after his Sydney Sixers years. South Australia's 2026/27 squad and Adelaide's BBL|16 contract now provide the next confirmed stage; senior Australia selection remains an ambition rather than a fact.