Cook laments double blow

Alastair Cook's first Ashes ton provides a backbone to their second innings © Getty Images

Buy this photo

Alastair Cook admitted a sense of disappointment at a lost opportunity despite scoring his maiden Ashes century as England battled to save the third Test.

The 21-year-old Essex batsman hit a determined 116 and appeared to have put the tourists in a strong position by the end of the fourth day at the WACA after sharing crucial partnerships with Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen.

But Cook, the youngest England batsman in history to score four Test centuries, was one of two victims in three balls for Glenn McGrath just two overs before the close as England slumped to 265 for five and still trail by 291 runs.

It was a big disappointment for Cook, who also scored a century on his Test debut earlier this year against India at Nagpur, who admitted: “It would have been nice to have been only two down and the last few minutes were a bit disappointing.

“But we’re still in there and still fighting hard and if we can get through the first session tomorrow like we did this morning then who knows?

“I will sit back tonight and know I’ve got a hundred, but I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t have that nagging feeling that I could be walking out tomorrow to get an even bigger one and get us close to the target.

“It’s probably the best Test innings I’ve played. Every innings is different but scoring one against Australia in Australia on the fourth day on a turning wicket was very nice.”

Cook shared a crucial 178-run stand with Bell and then added 76 with Pietersen and admitted his innings spanning six and a half hours in humid heat tested his endurance.

Matthew Hoggard has his off stump removed by Glenn McGrath © Getty Images

Buy this photo

“It’s hard work and you don’t get a respite,” he said. “There are no free runs out there and you’re made to work for every run and sometimes you just have battle through it and I thought I did that quite well today.

“I’ve felt in quite good nick throughout the series, but I just haven’t really got a score. I’ve hit the ball quite well and it’s been frustrating for me to keep getting starts and not going on and I’ve tried to make it count a little bit.

“It would have been nice to be not out and come back and get an even bigger one tomorrow but if someone had offered me a century this morning I’d have taken it.”

England finished the day with Pietersen unbeaten on 37 while captain Andrew Flintoff had progressed to two after also losing nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard.

But veteran seamer McGrath believes if they break the current partnership early, Australia can begin celebrating the regaining of the Ashes.

“We feel we’re probably a couple of wickets away and if we can get them, as soon as that last wicket falls hopefully at some stage tomorrow we can start celebrating and the Ashes will be back home,” he said.

“For me personally it was nice to get some reward for all the effort during the day. We always thought it was going to be a tough day if they got a couple of partnerships together and I thought the way Shane Warne bowled especially really set it up and kept the pressure on.”