Cook and Bopara put sorry West Indies to the sword

Second Test, Day 1: England 302/2. Alistair Cook and Ravi Bopara both scored watchful centuries as England steadily batted themselves into a commanding position against the West Indies on the first day of the Second Test.

On a docile wicket, and in front of sparsely-populated stands at Chester-le-Street in Durham, the Essex team mates compiled a huge partnership against a harmless attack, having coming together at 69/1 with the wicket of Andrew Strauss.

After a week in which he had engaged in a public war of words with Chris Gayle, captain Strauss must have been furious when Gayle dismissed him, caught behind to a faint edge from his glove while attempting to sweep.

But he will have been delighted that Cook scored his first century in England for two years, and that Bopara has ended the debate about the number three slot in the batting order. With stumps in sight, Bopara's 208-ball innings of 108 was finally ended when Lionel Baker got a ball to cut back sharply and demolish his off stump.

This was Bopara's third hundred in successive innings, and made him the first English batsman to do this feat since his mentor Graham Gooch. England will now hope to post a huge total on the second day and apply serious pressure to the West Indian response.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYINGMike Selvey, the Guardian: "When it comes to batting for England, Ravi Bopara, it is fair to say, is a young man of extremes. Two winters ago, in Sri Lanka, he finished an instructive but chastening tour with three successive Test match ducks. Since then, a further three successive innings have brought him 104, in Bridgetown in March, 143 at Lord's last week, and, at Chester-le- Street yesterday, 108 before he was bowled off-stump by a nip-backer from Lionel Baker with new ball in hand and the close in sight."

Mike Atherton, the Times: "The Riverside is the most northerly of Test grounds - just 2,429 miles from the North Pole, if you please - and it would have been no surprise to have witnessed the heavy roller being pulled by a pack of huskies. Needless to say it did not suit the touring team. It was too cold to swing and the pitch was deathly slow, offering nothing to the quicker bowlers except the odd ball that kept low and the merest hint of slow turn for the spinners. With the lush outfield negating any chance of reverse swing, it was difficult to think of less hospitable conditions for their spearhead, Fidel Edwards. He finished wicketless and but for a meaningless spurt at the end of the day against James Anderson, the nightwatchman, was insipid." ·