May 18, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 01, 1428

LONDON, May 17: Alastair Cook’s fifth Test hundred in 15 matches was the cornerstone of England’s 200 for three against the West Indies on the opening day of the first Test at Lord’s here on Thursday.

Cook was 102 not out when bad light ended play on the first day of the first Test of a four-match series. Cook had been in for over four hours after England lost the toss in bowler-friendly conditions.

The 22-year-old opener, not included in England’s World Cup squad, batted with the calm assurance that has been a hallmark of his brief international career, his century up in 162 balls with nine boundaries.

Essex left-hander’s Cook latest Test hundred was his second at Lord’s after he made 105 against Pakistan last year.

All-rounder Paul Collingwood was unbeaten on 21 after the weather meant only 56 of the day’s scheduled 90 overs were bowled.

Fast bowler Daren Powell, who brought the West Indies back into the game with two wickets after lunch, led the attack with 2-52 off 18 overs.

When a first bad light stoppage led to an early tea, England were 158 for two with Cook 82 not out and Kevin Pietersen unbeaten on 26.

The players were then presented to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. Soon afterwards though the crowd voiced its impatience during the course of nearly an hour long interruption.

Pietersen appeared frustrated as well and, trying to hit his way out of a scoreless spell, he thrashed Corey Collymore’s slower ball to cover where Devon Smith took his third catch of the innings. Pietersen had failed to add to his score and England were 162 for three in the 45th over after a stand of 59.

After a second bad light stoppage, Cook went to 94 with a cut boundary off medium-pacer Dwayne Bravo, in what was the batsman’s first Test against the West Indies, before a two off Powell saw him to three figures.Earlier, England, 85 without loss at the end of the morning session, saw stand-in skipper Andrew Strauss depart in the third over after lunch when he failed to get over the top of a square drive against Powell and was caught by Smith at point for 33.

New batsman Owais Shah, playing his first Test in England, made a nervy start that wasn’t helped by being hit on the back of the helmet by a stray throw from Jerome Taylor.

But at the other end Cook, 47 not out at lunch, completed a 76-ball fifty.

Shah, on six, though was squared up by a fine Powell delivery that veered up the Lord’s slope and was caught by third slip Smith, England 103 for two.

The West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan won the toss on a pitch freshened by several days of rain and in overcast skies. But the new ball pair of Powell and Taylor rarely troubled the left-handed openers.

ENGLAND 1st innings

A.J. Strauss c Smith b Powell 33

A.N. Cook not out 102

O.A. Shah c Smith b Powell 6

K.P. Pietersen c Smith b Collymore 26

P.D. Collingwood not out 21

EXTRAS: (LB-10, W-1, NB-1) 12

Total (for 3 wkts) 200

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-88, 2-103, 3-162

BOWLING: Powell 18-4-52-2; Taylor 6-0-35-0; Collymore 19-4-60-1 (1nb); Bravo 13-4-43-0 (1w)

UMPIRES: Rudi Koertzen (RSA) and Asad Rauf (PAK)

TV UMPIRE: Nigel Llong (ENG)

MATCH REFEREE: Alan Hurst (AUS)

West Indies: C.H.Gayle, D.Ganga, D.S.Smith, R.R.Sarwan, S.Chanderpaul, R.S.Morton, D.J.Bravo, D.Ramdin, D.B.Powell, C.D.Collymore, J.E.Taylor.

—AFP