Tuesday 26 May 2015 12:34, UK
Alastair Cook struck one of his finest centuries while Ben Stokes scored a truly special hundred as England turned the first Test around on day four, says Mike Atherton.
Captain Cook, 32no overnight, carried his bat as he struck an unbeaten 153 to propel the home side to 429-6 and a lead of 295 over New Zealand at Lord’s.
But it was Stokes’ scintillating 85-ball hundred – England's fastest since 1902 and the quickest Test century on the ground by any player – that lit up the day.
After conceding a 134-run first-innings deficit, England are back in control of the Test and former captain Atherton paid tribute to the efforts of the current skipper.
“It was a brilliant Cook hundred – one of the best of his career, I think, when you put together the nature of the attack and the match situation and conditions,” he said.
“These were real tough runs that he scored. At the start of the day England’s position was very precarious; they lost Bell to the third ball and they were still 70 behind, with Tim Southee and Trent Boult swinging it around corners.
“England needed this innings. I think he’ll put this in the top five or six centuries he’s scored for England, which says a lot. He’s been the rock around everything that has been built today.
“But it was a real ‘I was there' day for those of us watching Ben Stokes. In years to come people will say, ‘were you there on the day that he scored the fastest Test hundred at Lord’s?’
“It was the second fastest by an Englishman; you just had the sense of something special to come.”
Cook shared a crucial stand of 158 with Joe Root, who contributed 84 after coming in with England wobbling on 74-3.
“Root’s first innings partnership with Ben Stokes really got England up and running in this game after they were 30-4,” he said.
“England were wobbling again in the second innings so his partnership with Cook was absolutely central to their recovery.
“So in a very short period of time, Joe Root has become central to this England team. He’s right there in the engine room all of the time.
“He’s so important now and he’s obviously in a rich, rich vein of form. He’s right up there as one of the very best young players that the world game has got.”
Providing England don’t get bowled out early in Monday’s morning session, Cook must decide when to declare to give his side the best possible chance of taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
“You’ve got to see what the conditions are like in the morning,” opined Atherton. “If it’s blazing sun and bright blue skies, that’s going to affect Cook’s thinking much more than if it’s an overcast day.
“Then you’ve got to weigh up the runs-time equation. A lead of 295 is not enough. England won’t want to bat for more than an hour because at that point it becomes very difficult to win the game.
“Somewhere around that hour point he’s got to work out at which point the game is just starting to get beyond New Zealand.”
