Cook runs up a fine century to see Essex home

Essex (129 & 257-2) bt Somerset (209 & 174) by 8 wickets hundred, and also one of only two to score 50. In the first phase of his England career Cook was the Dogged Blocker, then Captaincum-Dogged-Blocker, but in his 30s he is playing more shots than ever.

The calendar year of 2016 was the first in his Test captaincy when Cook had scored more than 50 runs per 100 balls: previously his gear had been seldom higher than second. Last year he became more expansive, but in making minor rather than major scores.

So it will be hugely beneficial for England if he can manage the best of both worlds: big hundreds scored at a lively rate, which will allow Haseeb Hameed and Keaton Jennings to play their own games, and which will appeal much more to the T20 generation than the first two stages.

His more aggressive intent was evident from the first over of day three: Cook not only clipped a boundary through square leg, as he did to bring up his 100, but drove a couple of twos. Essex, 10 without loss overnight, were up and running, and stayed that way.

In Essex’s favour the dry pitch had got slower, but above all Somerset’s batsmen had given it away in their second innings, by taking on Neil Wagner’s bouncers instead of letting them fly past. Much of the batting of both counties was poor, the dismissals self-inflicted.

Essex recovered in their second innings, just as they had when forcing a draw against Lancashire. Somerset might also have helped Essex by their selection of three left-arm spinners of varying proficiency, but no off-spinner. Wagner, had created rough, yet Somerset omitted Dom Bess, who made such an impact last autumn.

On his captaincy debut, Tom Abell’s inexperience was manifested when he did not post a sweeper for Cook’s square-cut against the spinners until Essex were 149 for one.

After Nick Browne had played a horrible shot to get out off an equally horrible ball, Cook reached his 50 off 92 deliveries and needed only one other partner to decide the outcome, Tom Westley scoring