Cook and Bopara build solid base

England v West Indies, 1st npower Test, Lord's, 1st day

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

England 88 for 1 (Cook 34*, Bopara 33*) v West Indies
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	Alastair Cook made a solid start to his international season on the opening morning at Lord's

Ravi Bopara, the most exciting of England's new-look selections, survived his first foray into the No. 3 spot as the home side reached 88 for 1 at lunch on the opening day against West Indies at Lord's. Andrew Strauss was the only casualty of the morning session when he fell to Jerome Taylor for 19, but Alastair Cook was unbeaten on 34 at the break with England taking the honours following Chris Gayle's decision to bowl first.

It was an understandable move from Gayle with a tinge of green to the surface, but it soon became clear that there was nothing untoward for the batsmen. Taylor and Fidel Edwards were not quite at their best with the new ball as they gave England's openers plenty of deliveries they could leave. The surface, though, didn't offer much encouragement as some deliveries barely carried to Denesh Ramdin and the pace was very gentle. Lord's was living up to its recent character.

Strauss collected the day's first boundary when he sweetly drove Taylor down the ground and followed that up with a trademark cut through covers as the bowler tried to correct his line. Strauss's game was again looking in good order as he reacquainted himself with the attack that he took three hundreds off in the recent series in West Indies, but almost out of nowhere he got a top edge off Taylor as he tried another cut.

It was a timely breakthrough for West Indies, who were threatening to waste any advantage of bowling first, and Bopara was immediately greeted by a terrific delivery from Taylor that seamed away outside off and beat the outside edge. His nerves were settled in the following over when he clipped Lionel Baker, who was the pick of the quicks during a tight spell from the Pavilion End, through square leg for a sweet boundary.