Historic day, but same old story at top
THE historic first daynight Test in this country may be a novel experience but the same could not be said of watching Joe Root and Alastair Cook bail England out after yet another top-order collapse.
West Indies were, in theory, meant to provide England’s unproven batsmen with a chance to plunder easy runs ahead of this winter’s Ashes.
However, that wasn’t the way it started for debutant opener Mark Stoneman nor rookie No3 Tom Westley, both batsmen falling cheaply inside the first eight overs as England slipped to 39-2.
Cue the usual rescue act led by Cook and Root, the pair’s unbroken stand reaching 176 by tea as they made hay against a touring attack that was struggling to find any assistance from the pink ball in daylight conditions once the lacquer had worn off.
This was Root’s 13th Test century, brought up with a swept four off the spin of Roston Chase shortly before tea.
And it again highlighted how sensational his performances with the bat have been since he was appointed captain at the start of the year.
Starting with 190 against South Africa at Lord’s last month, this latest knock – the 11th successive Test he has posted at least 50 – proved record-breaking.
Indeed, the Yorkshireman passed the England record of fifty-plus scores in ten successive Tests set by John Erich 46 years ago.
It’s not the first record the 26year-old has broken during his international career and it surely won’t be the last.
Cook is another who is fond of getting the statisticians to rewrite the history books, England’s alltime leading runscorer and century-maker making light of the change in colour of the ball for this match.
Indeed, this innings from the former captain should come as no surprise given he posted a majestic 193 for Essex against Middlesex in the pink-ball round of County Championship in June.
However, amid the hype of this first day-night Test in the UK, England still are none the wiser as to the issues they need answering before this winter’s Ashes series in Australia.
As the sun shone on Edgbaston following a drab morning in
Birmingham, Root won the toss and chose to bat.
That allowed everybody an early look at Stoneman, the debutant opener who became Cook’s 12th opening partner since the retirement of Andrew Strauss in 2012.
At 30, the Surrey batsman is the oldest England Test debutant this century. He looked good, too, caressing the second delivery he faced from Kemar Roach through the covers for four before finishing the over with another boundary, this time off his legs.
It’s not an overstatement to say that Stoneman looked more comfortable in the first five balls he faced than Keaton Jennings had done in four Tests this summer before he was dropped for this match.
However, as good as the early signs were for Stoneman, he was undone by the fifth delivery he faced, Roach getting his revenge for those two earlier fours by producing a near-unplayable ball that swung away a fraction and kissed the top of off stump.
It wasn’t the start Stoneman would have wanted. But the early signs are that he may have what it takes to stop the revolving door at the top of the order.
Stoneman’s departure brought Westley to the crease, the Essex batsman tasked with solving another problem position at No3.
Westley showed promise in his first two Test appearances against South Africa but he needs runs to establish himself in the team for the coming Ashes series.
Unfortunately, they did not come on the first day of this match, the 28-year-old trapped lbw on review after missing a straight ball from Miguel Cummins.
It was a poor dismissal and his score of eight was decidedly underwhelming, especially as it saw England slip to 39-2.
Still, Cook and Root are nothing if not reliable and it was left to the former captain and his successor to repair the damage with an unbroken 61-run stand before lunch – taken at 4pm.
Cook reached his own halfcentury before the interval, a misfield from Kyle Hope at midwicket allowing him to run through for the single that saw him bring up his fifty in 74 balls.
England, with Root unbeaten on 40, were in the relatively healthy position of 108-2 at the break.
Root and Cook would ensure they capitalised on it, too, the England captain cutting his opposite number Jason Holder through third man for four to reach his record-breaking 50 in 83 balls.
The pair had seen off the early swing provided by this pink Dukes ball and, with the sun out and no lights at this stage, this was the best time of day to bat.
So, it was no surprise Root and Cook soon took their third-wicket partnership past 100 and then 150 as West Indies’ bowlers struggled to find control.
Indeed, by tea the tourists must have been praying for the assistance promised by the floodlights. Full report in next week's edition