Stokes and Cook hit centuries as England dominate Day Four

David Clough 02:29 25/05/2015
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  • Centurions: Cook and Stokes.

    Alastair Cook’s 27th century and the fastest ever at Lord’s from Ben Stokes transformed the first Test as England went from a position of peril to one of dominance.

    England arrived on day four with backs-to-the-wall defiance apparently the best they could hope for after conceding a 134-run first innings lead to New Zealand.

    But Cook (153 not out) did his job so well, wonderfully supported by Joe Root (84) and then most memorably by Stokes (101), that on 429 for six at stumps the hosts could start to think about pushing for a win rather than a battling draw at the start of their Ashes summer.

    When the captain’s overnight partner Ian Bell departed to the third ball of the morning, England were still 60 runs behind with three wickets down.

    But Cook combined in a stand of 158 with Root, completed his 206-ball hundred – and then largely watched from 22 yards as Stokes smacked 78 of the next 100 runs in a partnership of 132 in just 26 overs.

    After tea in particular against the second new ball, Stokes took on the Kiwis and hooked Tim Southee for two sixes and a mis-hit four off successive balls as 20 came from one over and then another 17 in the same bowler’s next.

    Stokes drove brilliantly down the ground too, and hit 15 fours and three sixes in his 85-ball century – England’s fastest since 1902 and the quickest Test century at the ground by any player.

    It was also the Durham all-rounder’s second Test ton of his career and came just three days after he fell agonisingly short with 92 in the first innings at Lord’s.

    Cook had dealt most impressively with New Zealand’s swing exponents Southee and Trent Boult, and Root milked the off-spin of Mark Craig.

    After Bell followed some swing down the slope from Southee to be caught behind, the onus was on England’s captain and vice-captain to keep their team in the match.

    Cook was back to his best following his long overdue hundred in Barbados in a chanceless innings which has taken him to within only another 41 of surpassing his mentor Graham Gooch as England’s all-time record Test run-scorer.

    Root was less convincing initially, and needed a little more fortune – notably on seven when he chipped aerially to a cunningly deployed square leg but was reprieved by third umpire Rod Tucker, who concluded the ball had not carried to Corey Anderson off Boult.

    That was as close as the Kiwis came to a second breakthrough until deep into an increasingly cloudy afternoon.

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