Colly and Cook come good

Paul Collingwood drives through the off side en route to a fine century © Getty Images

Paul Collingwood and Alastair Cook underlined their immense value to the England side with much-needed centuries on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s.

Coming in at 88 for three, Collingwood led a magnificent recovery operation that transformed a perilous position for England into one of considerable strength.

He and Cook shared an unbroken stand of 221 for the fourth wicket, the importance of which may become more apparent as the match progresses.

Collingwood - unbeaten on 109 at the close - and Cook, who reached three figures in the penultimate over of the day - batted with considerable assuredness on a pitch which offered seamers and spinners assistance throughout.

But, well though Pakistan bowled in periods, particularly early on, the England batsmen were aided by some decidedly poor fielding.

Cook was dropped three times - the first of which came before he had scored - en route to his century, while Collingwood was fortunate to see a regulation catch put down by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal when he had made 79.

Those mishaps should not detract from the quality of their strokeplay, although discretion understandably became an increasingly prominent trait of their innings as an absorbing day edged towards its conclusion.

The contributions of Collingwood and Cook not only wrested the initiative firmly away from Pakistan, but eased Andrew Strauss’ nerves somewhat.

Paul Collingwood cannot contain his joy at reaching three figures © Getty Images

Captaining his country for the first time in Tests in the absence of Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff, Strauss endured a testing morning session as the tourists made early inroads into the England top-order.

His was one of three wickets to fall before lunch, but Collingwood and Cook batted with sufficient determination and composure during an alliance spanning more than five hours to deny Pakistan a further breakthrough.

Having won the toss and chosen to bat, Strauss shared an entertaining opening stand of 60 with Marcus Trescothick that featured numerous meaty strokes through the off side and smart running between the wickets.

But six balls after Trescothick’s faint edge was taken by Akmal as he followed a delivery slanted across him by Umar Gul, Strauss was trapped lbw for 30 by one from Abdul Razzaq that pitched on leg and held its line.

Kevin Pietersen also succumbed to movement off the seam, adjudged leg before shouldering arms to a Razzaq off-cutter which may have been going over the stumps.

It was to be Pakistan’s last moment of joy on a day which did little to enhance their reputation in the field.

Alastair Cook works the ball off his legs during his grafting innings © Getty Images

Cook was the chief beneficiary. He was put down on nought by Imran Farhat, diving in front of Inzamam-ul-Haq at second slip off the bowling of Gul; Danish Kaneria fluffed a simple chance off his own bowling after Cook, on 45, pushed firmly at a googly; and Farhat spilled a regulation catch at first slip when Cook was 19 short of his century.

Not that it bothered Cook, who overcame a few nerves in the nineties to progress to a 259-ball hundred that featured nine fours.

He had already witnessed Collingwood - the more fluent of the two in their mammoth alliance - reach three figures off 102 fewer deliveries. He had struck 12 boundaries.

Though watchful in defence, both nonetheless managed to maintain a more than run-rate that hovered around four an over for much of the day.

Collingwood, typically strong through mid-wicket, demonstrated his off-side prowess courtesy of several powerful forcing shots, and also impressed with the use of his feet against the leg-spin of Kaneria, who bowled 29 overs without success.

Cook’s innings was more a model of accumulation, but what he lacked in fluency he more than made up for in application, arguably the most important currency given the situation England found themselves in early on.

It was a measure of his and Collingwood’s excellence that the balance of power had tilted so much by the close.