Ton up for Cook as England take stroll

ENGLAND skipper Alastair Cook yesterday completed a morale- boosting century – his fi rst in his country’s colours since a tour game in Hobart in November 2013 – to lift the pressure from his shoulders.

There were also cheap half- centuries for Ian Bell and Joe Root as England declared on 379- 6 at tea in the opening warm- up match of their three- Test tour of the West Indies.

Cook and Bell retired to allow the rest of the batsmen to share the feast. But as the game meandered sleepily along at sun- soaked Warner Park in Basseterre, the merits of facing a chronically under- powered St Kitts & Nevis XI were increasingly questionable.

Cook – axed as England’s one- day skipper before the World Cup and struggling for runs – decided to call it a day having made 101 and could probably have batted all day.

Bell followed suit, walking off with 59 immediately after Root was out lbw.

That double change allowed all- rounder Ben Stokes and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler to spend some time in the middle.

Cook had resumed in the morning on 95 not out and wasted no time in reaching three fi gures. It was hardly a memorable innings but should give a boost to a player whose reputation for batting long and scoring big has tailed off in the past couple of years.

His relief manifested itself in a dignifi ed waft of the bat and a handshake for Gary Ballance, who was fi nding life less comfortable.

Ballance was struggling for fl uency and dug himself into something of a rut before departing for 16. Root immediately showed his attacking intent but was dismissed for 64.

Stokes ( 41) and Buttler ( 18 not out) put on 59 before Stokes fell and the declaration came.

Faced with a defi cit of 320, the demoralised St Kitts side could only try to save this two- day match. They crawled to 10- 0 off their fi rst seven overs but then quickly slipped to 22- 4.