Former England captain Alastair Cook’s insatiable appetite for runs reappeared as he scored a century for Essex on Thursday on the opening day of the 2022 County Championship season.
The 37-year-old left-hander shared an opening stand of 220 with fellow century-scorer Nick Brown, helping Essex get off to a strong start at home in Chelmsford, Kent.
Cook set his last England record of 12,472 Test runs before retiring from international cricket four years ago.
And while he has resisted all pleas for a return to Test duty amid a steady decline in England’s top order, Cook remains committed to Essex.
Brown beat his illustrious teammate by three points before being dismissed for 107 as one of two wickets by Australian pacer Jackson Bird.
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Cook, who signed a new two-year contract with Essex in November, was caught on exactly 100 as the hosts, last season’s second division champions, reached the stumps at 272 for four.
Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas took two wickets as Hampshire bowled Somerset for 180 in Southampton before Joe Weatherly and Ian Holland scored an unbeaten century.
Rory Burns (41) and Ollie Pope (40 not out), who struggled for runs during England’s 4–0 Ashes series loss to Australia, scored useful scores for Surrey against Warwickshire when rain stopped play. Then the visitors scored 168 runs for three wickets. Edgbaston.
In the second division, Middlesex’s Stephen Eskinazzi scored the first century of the new championship season, going on for 118 against Derbyshire at Lord’s.
Former England captain Mike Atherton’s son Joshua de Cares scored 80 runs as the hosts ended the day for 307 for four.
Azhar Ali had a day to forget, as the former Pakistan captain was dismissed for just two runs in Worcestershire’s opening match against Leicestershire.
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