Matt Prior became the first England wicket-keeper to score a century on Test debut as the hosts piled up 553 for five on the second day of the first Test.
LONDON: Matt Prior became the first England wicket-keeper to score a century on Test debut as the hosts piled up 553 for five on the second day of the first Test against West Indies at Lord’s here Friday.
Prior, 25, was one of four England centurions in the innings with Alastair Cook (105), Paul Collingwood (111) and Ian Bell (109 not out) also reaching three figures.
It was the first time since 1938 that four England batsmen had all scored centuries in the same Test innings when Charlie Barnett (126), Len Hutton (100), Eddie Paynter (216 not out) and Denis Compton (102) contributed to a total of 658 for eight declared against Australia at Trent Bridge.
Prior, who gave Bell a 56-run head start, beat his team-mate to three figures in a rapid 105 balls with 16 fours.
Bell reached the landmark in 180 balls, the batsman’s sixth Test century. When bad light forced an early close, the duo had put on an unbroken 190 in 212 balls for the sixth wicket.
Four West Indies bowlers conceded over 100 runs each, Jerome Taylor the most expensive with one for 114 from 24 overs.
Collingwood, twice missed in the 30s and lucky to survive an lbw appeal, received good support from Bell, in a fifth-wicket stand of 144.
England, against a right-arm seam attack lacking variety and genuine pace - a worrying sin for West Indies at the outset of a four-Test series - resumed after tea well-placed at 372 for five with Bell 59 not out and Prior unbeaten on five.
Prior, who played under new England coach Peter Moores at Sussex, had got off the mark before tea with a four through mid-wicket off Dwayne Bravo.
And he maintained his tempo on the way to a 55-ball fifty, the 25-year-old reaching the landmark with an emphatic hooked four off Daren Powell.
West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, an occasional leg-break bowler, brought himself on with England 446 for five off 129 overs. But his first two balls, both short and wide, were gleefully seized on by Prior for consecutive fours.
England were now well on the way to building a total even a side featuring now retired former West Indies captain and batting great Brian Lara would be hard-pressed to overhaul. Off-spinner Chris Gayle was then driven for four by the South Africa-born Prior, who came to England as an 11-year-old.
Scorecard
England (1st Innings, overnight 200-3): Andrew Strauss c Smith b Powell 33, Alastair Cook c Bravo b Taylor 105, Owais Shah c Smith b Powell 6, Kevin Pietersen c Smith b Collymore 26, Paul Collingwood b Bravo 111, Ian Bell not out 109, Matt Prior not out 126;
Extras: (8b, 17lb, 10w, 2nb) 37
Total: (for 5 wickets, 142 overs) 553
Fall of wickets: 1-88, 2-103, 3-162, 4-219, 5-363
Bowling: Daren Powell 37-9-113-2 (2w), Jerome Taylor 24-4-114-1, Corey Collymore 32-5-110-1 (2nb), Dwayne Bravo 32-8-106-1 (1w), Chris Gayle 10-0-48-0, Runako Morton 1-0-4-0 (2w), Ramnaresh Sarwan 6-0-33-0
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