County stint excites Cook

– Proteas Test opener Stephen Cook is to play for Durham in the first half of the 2017 English season, the northeast county announced yesterday.

Cook, 34, who made a century on his Test debut against England at Centurion last year, has since gone on to establish himself at the top of the Proteas’ order, addeding two more hundreds.

Now he will be available for the early rounds of Durham’s campaign in the second division of English cricket’s first-class County Championship following their controversial relegation last season.

Cook will also play in the domestic One-Day Cup ahead of what is expected to be his call-up to the South African squad for the Test section of their tour of England in July and August.

Cook, the son of former Somerset batsman Jimmy Cook – a heavy scorer during his time in county cricket – said joining Durham was the realisation of a dream.

“Ever since I was a young boy, watching my dad play for Somerset, I always dreamed of one day playing county cricket,” said Cook, who has a good average of 41 from his nine Tests and has a mark of 41.17 in a first-class career that has so far yielded 40 centuries. – AFP