This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/apr/07/alastair-cook-essex-england

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Alastair Cook happy to be back at Fenner's after a much-needed break Alastair Cook happy to be back at Fenner's after a much-needed break
(34 minutes later)
The ball seamed around at Fenner's. It dipped and darted from a damp pitch under leaden skies, zigged and zagged, which was not really what Alastair Cook needed on his return to the crease after three months clear of the game.The ball seamed around at Fenner's. It dipped and darted from a damp pitch under leaden skies, zigged and zagged, which was not really what Alastair Cook needed on his return to the crease after three months clear of the game.
The last time he took guard was in the final Ashes Test in Sydney, with his tour long since in tatters thanks to Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle and now, in his first innings since, a pair of Cambridge bowlers, little more than briskish medium, were turning him inside out. It was, he said later as he watched Ravi Bopara complete a battling half century for Essex, challenging. The umpires had been giggling at the extravagant movement off the pitch. The last time he took guard was in the final ODI in Adelaide, with his tour long since in tatters thanks to Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle and now, in his first innings since, a pair of Cambridge bowlers, little more than briskish medium, were turning him inside out. It was, he said later as he watched Ravi Bopara complete a battling half century for Essex, challenging. The umpires had been giggling at the extravagant movement off the pitch.
Cook made 39 – grateful for a handful of long hops from an urgent but nervous left-armer, which were splattered through point – before he was out lbw to the final ball of a slightly curtailed first session, frustrating, he felt, but reward for the persistence of Alasdair Pollock.Cook made 39 – grateful for a handful of long hops from an urgent but nervous left-armer, which were splattered through point – before he was out lbw to the final ball of a slightly curtailed first session, frustrating, he felt, but reward for the persistence of Alasdair Pollock.
These are early days though. In the aftermath of the Ashes, Cook took himself back to the farm, packed away his cricket kit, and lived another life for a few months. It has been a good lambing season, he says, excellent in fact, and then last week, his wife Alice gave birth to their first child, a daughter. He might have taken some paternity leave and no one would have thought the worse if he did but he has his career to pick up and the trip over to Cambridge from Woburn is not that far.These are early days though. In the aftermath of the Ashes, Cook took himself back to the farm, packed away his cricket kit, and lived another life for a few months. It has been a good lambing season, he says, excellent in fact, and then last week, his wife Alice gave birth to their first child, a daughter. He might have taken some paternity leave and no one would have thought the worse if he did but he has his career to pick up and the trip over to Cambridge from Woburn is not that far.
"It was important to have a clean break after the winter we've had," he said. "Every break is important though. When you are on tour and it's just cricket, cricket, cricket, and when it doesn't go well, you suddenly realise when you do have a break that there is a life outside cricket and the world does go on and that not everyone knows about your problems. I don't know anyone who would not be affected in that way."It was important to have a clean break after the winter we've had," he said. "Every break is important though. When you are on tour and it's just cricket, cricket, cricket, and when it doesn't go well, you suddenly realise when you do have a break that there is a life outside cricket and the world does go on and that not everyone knows about your problems. I don't know anyone who would not be affected in that way.
"Dinesh Chandimal dropped himself from the Sri Lankan side and they won the T20 tournament. You ask the lads to do a certain amount and you are not backing it up with your own performance, it eventually takes its toll. It does feel like it undermines you."Dinesh Chandimal dropped himself from the Sri Lankan side and they won the T20 tournament. You ask the lads to do a certain amount and you are not backing it up with your own performance, it eventually takes its toll. It does feel like it undermines you.
"You obviously have a certain amount of credit in the bank and you know people go through bits and bobs of form and it can be tough but in the long run you have to warrant your place in the side. And I'm in the side to score runs. It's been great to come back and play for Essex too. I think it's important to have a settled county side where there are a few familiar faces around.""You obviously have a certain amount of credit in the bank and you know people go through bits and bobs of form and it can be tough but in the long run you have to warrant your place in the side. And I'm in the side to score runs. It's been great to come back and play for Essex too. I think it's important to have a settled county side where there are a few familiar faces around."
Cook could not synchronise his foot movement with his attempt to lay bat on ball. At his best, he plays late, but here there was an eagerness to feel the ball: it is fractional but defining. His trigger movement took him across the crease but he was static from there. There is an art to playing and missing however. When playing defensively, the batsman needs to play the line of the ball, commit to that and on no account be tempted to follow the ball, by trying to adjust as it deviates. If it moves, the chances are it will miss the edge, but follow it, get dragged away from the body, and not only is an edge more likely, the width of the bat is effectively reduced by half as it is naturally angled. Crucially, Cook held the line well.Cook could not synchronise his foot movement with his attempt to lay bat on ball. At his best, he plays late, but here there was an eagerness to feel the ball: it is fractional but defining. His trigger movement took him across the crease but he was static from there. There is an art to playing and missing however. When playing defensively, the batsman needs to play the line of the ball, commit to that and on no account be tempted to follow the ball, by trying to adjust as it deviates. If it moves, the chances are it will miss the edge, but follow it, get dragged away from the body, and not only is an edge more likely, the width of the bat is effectively reduced by half as it is naturally angled. Crucially, Cook held the line well.
"I'd been batting on good pitches in the tent at Chelmsford," he said, "so this was different. Their two opening bowlers aren't that quick but if you bowled it there and thereabouts on this pitch it moved about. In fact me and the umpires were laughing about how much it was deviating but if it moves that much you are not going to hit it."I'd been batting on good pitches in the tent at Chelmsford," he said, "so this was different. Their two opening bowlers aren't that quick but if you bowled it there and thereabouts on this pitch it moved about. In fact me and the umpires were laughing about how much it was deviating but if it moves that much you are not going to hit it.
"It was a just a matter of trying to grind out some kind of score. I tried a couple of techniques for the conditions. One was trying to hold back in the crease and not come out too much in the hope of letting the ball nip so you have time to adjust if it moves. The other was to come right out to the pitch. I tried a bit of both but it didn't make much difference."It was a just a matter of trying to grind out some kind of score. I tried a couple of techniques for the conditions. One was trying to hold back in the crease and not come out too much in the hope of letting the ball nip so you have time to adjust if it moves. The other was to come right out to the pitch. I tried a bit of both but it didn't make much difference.
"Ravi was cautious until tea and then he came out and played shots and has been pretty successful. It's a good challenge and one of the beauties of cricket. Last week Ravi was on a flat pitch in Bangladesh against the world's best bowlers but this week it's something completely different. It's about making the right adjustments.""Ravi was cautious until tea and then he came out and played shots and has been pretty successful. It's a good challenge and one of the beauties of cricket. Last week Ravi was on a flat pitch in Bangladesh against the world's best bowlers but this week it's something completely different. It's about making the right adjustments."
Bopara finished the day unbeaten on 63.Bopara finished the day unbeaten on 63.