Cook century puts England in command

Andrew Miller at The Oval

Alastair Cook drew level with the England centuries tally of his mentor Graham Gooch, as England seized control of the first Test against South Africa at The Oval.

By the close, they had eased along to 267 for 3 after winning an important toss, with Cook closing the day on 114 not out. Alongside him was Ian Bell, a double-centurion against India in England's last Test at The Oval, on 10.

It was Cook's 20th Test century and his first since he made 294 against India at Edgbaston last August, during which time he has twice been dismissed for 94. "Gooch was a great player and to have the same number of hundreds as him is a very special moment," he said.

Cook's innings spanned 283 balls without a single chance, and at the age of 27, he has now amassed 6474 runs at 49.41. As a point of comparison Sachin Tendulkar, at the same age, had 25 Test hundreds to his name.

The start of play had to be delayed by 15 minutes when a shower past over the ground shortly before the toss, and England looked set for a tough day's work when Andrew Strauss was trapped lbw for a duck by Morne Morkel's fourth ball of the day.

Bowling from round the wicket, Morkel pinned Strauss on the pad as he attempted to work the ball to leg, and was sent on his way when a review showed the ball would have been hitting middle and leg.

But Cook and Jonathan Trott negated the threat of the new ball in a chanceless stand of 170 for the second wicket. They were not separated until shortly after tea, when Trott flashed a loose drive at Morkel and was caught behind for 71.

Kevin Pietersen, the man of the moment following his recent stand-off with the ECB, entertained the packed crowd with a typically flamboyant 42, before he pulled loosely at a Jacques Kallis bouncer and was caught behind by AB de Villiers.

South Africa's much-vaunted bowling attack had little to write home about on a surface that drew the sting of their seamers and offered little turn to the legspinner Imran Tahir.

Vernon Philander, with 51 wickets in his first seven Tests, did not add to that tally in 16 overs, while Dale Steyn, the world's No. 1 bowler, also went unrewarded in 21 overs.

Date: 19/07/2012 18:57:51 by AMiller
In: Today | England |