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England vs West Indies match report: Joe Root hits another century as Alastair Cook misses out again

England 373-6 West Indies 299

Stephen Brenkley
Friday 24 April 2015 11:08 BST
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Joe Root plays a shot on his way to 118 not out
Joe Root plays a shot on his way to 118 not out

The wait goes on and on for Alastair Cook. But for Joe Root, batting life is as good as it gets. As England – at first dutifully, later entertainingly – tried to build a lead which might allow them to win the second Test, their captain extended his disheartening run without a hundred. The man who might be captain in waiting, however, made his sixth Test hundred, his sixth straight score above fifty.

Cook’s failure was relative and his innings of 76, as well as a first-wicket partnership of 125 with Jonathan Trott, helped to establish England’s control for much of the third day. Towards its close, there was a stutter as England finished on 373 for 6 after the two dominant Yorkshire batsmen, Root, who on 118 not out, and Gary Ballance again stamped their authority on proceedings with the magisterial air that Cook possessed not so long ago.

Root, more serene with every passing visit to the crease, reached his century in the late afternoon sunshine with his 13th four, a blissful late cut which has become one of his trademark shots.

Since the start of the last English season, after being dropped for the final Test of the ill-fated Ashes tour, he has scored more than 1000 with four hundreds and another five fifties. It is Herculean batting and nothing looked more certain than that Root would succeed.

His partnership of 165 for the fourth wicket with Ballance was crucial. Once more, they looked like men who had not only shared the crease so many times for county and country but like two who had shared a flat, which they used to do. Their scampered, barely acknowledged singles are as crucial in wearing down opponents as their ability to hit loose balls for four.

Alastair Cook, the England captain, is bowled for 76 by West Indies’ Shannon Gabriel (AFP/Getty)

Ballance has had a wonderful start to his Test career which as yet shows no sign of abating. In 16 innings he has passed fifty eight times. On this occasion it looked a glorious certainty from the moment he went to the crease in an ideal position for a No 3 – the ball old, the pitch flat, the sun out – which has not always been the case for him.

It was characteristic of most of his substantial contributions that he should start slowly, eliminating error, becoming accustomed to his surroundings with the intention of a spot of plunder later on. It is a mature way to bat, slightly marred only by Ballance’s unexpected dismissal when he miscued a drive against an innocuous ball from Marlon Samuels and became the third England batsman of the day to be bowled off an inside edge.

In Samuels’ next over, Moeen Ali was run out. He had already survived one scare when Root called him for a single that was not there, only for the throw to miss. Now Moeen clipped to midwicket, called for a single, was rightly sent back and this time the stumps were hit.

England’s objective at the start of the morning was to create a lead sufficient for them to bat once and leave enough time to bowl out West Indies in their second innings. There was no point in adopting a gung-ho approach to this, which suited the purposes of both batsmen and team.

Cook and Jonathan Trott must have felt the burden of expectation. In different ways, they are trying to rebuild their careers. Both brought along their prized assets of stoic concentration and steadfast determination.

Only for a brief period late last summer has Cook been as fluent as this in the past 18 months, while Trott was markedly less anxious than on his comeback last week in Antigua. The recent state of England’s opening pair, whoever they may be, was reflected in the fat that it was the first century partnership since Cook and Nick Compton put on 231 against New Zealand two years ago.

Trott’s half century, typically diligent though it was, is not quite enough to have yet fully justified his return in a position virtually alien to him. He was out a to Devendra Bishoo a third of the way through the leg spinner’s long spell either side of lunch.

Beaten by the first ball of the over, Trott edged the next to second slip as it turned away from him. Cook had one scare on 65 when he survived a review of an lbw appeal. It was marginal enough to suppose that it must be Cook’s day.

Just as the 26th century for which he and England have wanted for so long loomed into view again, he went back to cut Shannon Gabriel, was cramped for space and dragged the ball on to his stumps. He gave a rueful shake of the head and off he went, presumably wondering if the day would ever come.

Cook has played 34 innings without scoring a century. Only Mike Brearley, with 52, has gone longer as an England captain with the fast bowler Bob Willis third on 28. Only Brearley, on 41, has played more consecutive innings as an opener without a hundred as Cook overtook Tom Hayward’s run of 33 between 1901 and 1909.

Ian Bell’s early departure offered West Indies the semblance of an opening. Ian Bell, like Cook, chopped on a ball from Gabriel essaying a cut. But there were no more mistakes by the tourists.

Denesh Ramdin, the home team’s captain, delayed the second new ball, a ploy he abandoned when Jermaine Blackwood’s first over went for 14. But the progress of the two Yorkshire batsmen was not for impeding now.

Root reached his fifty from 69 balls with eight fours. Ballance, refusing to be unnecessarily expansive, had to endure another tight review of an lbw appeal before going to his in 129 balls with five fours.

When they were parted with an around an hour left of an extended day, another wicket fell all too quickly. Moeen should perhaps have known better but it can happen to all batsmen at any level in search of their first run.

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