Cook ready to play on for Essex

SIR ALASTAIR Cook is enjoying life back in the ranks at Essex so much he is preparing to play beyond this summer’s final year of his contract. England’s record run-scorer signed a three-year deal with his county after finishing his 161-test career with a century in his final match, against india at the oval in 2018. Now, after playing a leading role in Essex’s County Championship success in 2019 and their Bob Willis trophy triumph last year, he goes into the new conference championship next week still hungry for runs. ‘i’ve enjoyed being at Essex without the real scrutiny and pressure of playing international cricket,’ said Cook, 36, yesterday. ‘in county cricket you do go back to basics in one sense, to batting and catching and remembering why you played sport in the first place. ‘i am in limbo to an extent because in three months’ time i could be sitting here thinking, “Do you know what? it’s time for someone else to have my place”. ‘But while i’ve still got the support of Essex and my family and if the ball is still hitting the middle of my bat more often than my pad, i’ll continue.’ the former England captain realised a big ambition when he guided Essex to the title in a nail-biting decider against Somerset. ‘i had sat down with Chris Silverwood (then Essex coach) at Chelmsford and told him winning the Championship was top of my bucket list,’ he said. ‘to do that in the first year after i stopped with England was brilliant. ‘the motivation to do well is still there because i don’t want to disgrace myself. there’s still no better feeling than scoring runs.’ Cook says a big reason to carry on is to once again play in front of spectators after the ‘different’ experience of winning the Bob Willis trophy behind closed doors at lord’s. ‘We really missed playing in front of Essex crowds last year,’ he added.