CRICKET:It was difficult to say whether it was Mick Hunt's pitch or the West Indies pace attack that was less prepared for the first Test match of the summer. The strip, green, damp, dank and with the texture of Plasticine, represented the answer to a seam bowler's prayer. The heavy cloud cover that persisted even after the morning rain had dispersed caused several stoppages for bad light and added the further dimension of swing.
All day the bowlers were offered tools with which to work. Yet out of this came not the tumble of wickets but a fifth Test century in his 15th match for Alastair Cook, who at the age of 22 has already laid down a marker to become the most prolific of all England batsmen by the time he reaches cricketing old age.
By the time Cook and Paul Collingwood, a brisk and breezy 21 to his name, took the offer of the light and departed the arena for the final time with just 56 overs bowled, Cook had made 102, his fourth hundred in eight knocks this summer, and England, put in to bat by Ramnaresh Sarwan, who in the circumstances had no option, had reached 200 for three, satisfactory enough.
That West Indies should have been expected to come into a Test with just a single match behind them, having for the most part played no red-ball cricket since the back-end of last year, is selling not just them short but the public who are entitled to watch teams ready for the fray.
The result was an indifferent start from bowlers keen to impress, mindful of the need to take wickets given the decision to field first, and striving to utilise the prolific movement available to them. Throughout it all Sarwan, not unreasonably, insisted on keeping attacking fields.
From this inevitable waywardness and lack of sharpness Cook and Andrew Strauss were able to compile an opening stand of 88, before the captain drove a ball tamely to backward point.
There was an untidy and unsuccessful innings of half a dozen from Owais Shah. And there was a 26 from Kevin Pietersen who began at a gallop before Sarwan cut off his boundary options. Pietersen finally speared a catch to extra-cover to give Devon Smith the third of his three catches.
Guardian Service
