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Cook's century puts England in command

England batsman Alastair Cook celebrates his century during the first Test between England and the West Indies at Lords in London on Thursday. PHOTO: AFP

Alastair Cook hit 102 not out to steer England to 200-for-3 against the West Indies on Thursday's opening day of the first Test.

In just his 15th Test, Cook's fifth hundred anchored England's innings after Daren Powell took two quick wickets after lunch with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in attendance at Lord's.

The 22-year-old Cook hit 10 fours from 173 balls in more than four hours at the crease.

He shared stands of 88 with stand-in captain Andrew Strauss, 59 with Kevin Pietersen and an unbroken 38 with Paul Collingwood in a day punctuated by four delays due to bad light or rain.

Cook, who scored 104 not out on debut at India in March last year, scored two Test hundreds against Pakistan last year and another in the 5-0 Ashes defeat to Australia — but he missed the World Cup.

"I felt very emotional when I got the hundred," Cook said. "It has been a while, Jan. 6, since I've been involved [with England], and that's probably why. I've been watching on TV and wanting to be a part of it, so maybe that's why it meant so much today."

Powell was the pick of the bowlers with 2-52 in 18 overs and Corey Collymore 1-60 in 19, while Devon Smith took three catches in three different fielding positions.

West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan won the toss and sent England in to bat under a gloomy sky that promised to help swing bowling after a 30-minute delay due to persistent light rain.

Cook and Strauss were largely untroubled by West Indies' three-man pace attack in the first session, as the pair took England to lunch at 85-0 with Cook on 47 and Strauss on 31.

But 13 balls after lunch with two runs added to his score, Strauss drove at a delivery from Powell and scooped a catch to Smith at backward point on 88-1.

Owais Shah, playing in only his second Test after scoring 88 on his debut against India in March last year, was hit on the back of the head while on 0 by an errant throw from Jerome Taylor.

Soon after, Shah edged an outswinger from Powell to Smith at third slip, and England were 103-2 in the 29th over.

"We didn't use the new ball as well as we should, and that put us on the back foot a bit," Powell said. "We analyzed the situation at lunch and came out and got things right after that."

Pietersen survived a confident shout for leg-before-wicket from Collymore before quickly hitting three fours through the offside, but his edge off Powell in the 33rd over bounced just in front of first slip.

The pair took England to 150 in the 38th over and then put on their 50-run stand in just 64 balls.

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