Cook eyes eighth Test hundred

Alastair Cook will enter tomorrow’s third npower Test against South Africa refusing to panic about his run without scoring an international century.

The 23-year-old Essex left-hander found the transition from the county game to international cricket relatively easy after scoring seven centuries in his first 24 Tests.

But he goes into his 33rd Test tomorrow having not scored a century since hitting 118 against Sri Lanka in Galle last December. More frustratingly still, he has passed 50 four times in that period without being able to convert into three figures.

Cook, though, is remaining philosophical about his recent run of 13 innings without a hundred as he strives to help England bounce back from their 10-wicket defeat in the second Test at Headingley Carnegie at Edgbaston this week.

“It’s disappointing to say the least,” admitted Cook. “Graham Gooch always told me the first 50 is always the hardest and after that it should get easier.

Alastair Cook reaches his seventh Test hundred in the third match against Sri Lanka last year in Galle

“It’s frustrating for me at the moment because I keep getting out and not getting hundreds.

“I’ve always scored hundreds so far in my career as an Essex and England player, so I’m not worrying too much about it.”

Cook left Headingley with his head held high after battling for over four hours for 60 during England’s doomed attempt to save the game.

England’s performance at Leeds, when they were outplayed in almost every session by South Africa, was in stark contrast to their stunning display when they dominated the first three days of the opening Test at Lord’s.

But they have attempted to resolve the dramatic change in performance with a meeting of the whole squad at Edgbaston yesterday prior to their practice session.

“At Lord’s we got 600 so you don’t become a bad batting unit overnight,” said Cook.

“We didn’t play that well as a batting unit at Headingley in the first session, but sometimes you do make mistakes and don’t play as well and the challenge is to bat a lot better.

“We chatted about what we did well at Lord’s and what we didn’t do well at Headingley and how we’re going to have to bounce back and hopefully it’s in this side to do that.”