Big centuries for Cook, Carberry in Hobart

Cricket365
November 6, 2013

Hefty centuries from openers Michael Carberry and Alastair Cook carried England to a whopping total of 318 without loss on day one of the four-day tour match against Australia A in Hobart on Wednesday.

Jostling for position with the under-fire Joe Root ahead of the first Test, which will get underway in Brisbane on 21 November, Carberry afforded the selectors plenty of food for thought en route to a solid 153 not out.

Cook, who missed last week's drawn clash with the Western Australian Chairman's XI at the Western Australia Cricket Association Ground in Perth, marked a fine return to the XI with an authoritative 154 not out.

The pairing was marvelous, leaving an uninspired host attack riddled with questions – and potentially facing three more long sessions in the field come Thursday's proceedings at the Bellerive Oval. Indeed, Australia A's bowlers, which included part-timer Usman Khawaja, boast a mere 17 Test matches between them.

Cook and Carberry shared all of 41 fours, while the latter also struck two handsome sixes, deploying outstanding footwork to spinners Jon Holland and Glenn Maxwell. Root, meanwhile, pondered a new home in the middle order.

The conditions in Hobart are, admittedly, considerably easier for scoring than those on offer in Perth earlier this month. England, however, will know its the bowlers – not the batsmen – that require adequate match practice.

Perhaps an early declaration on day two, forsaking possible double centuries for Cook and Carberry, who was dropped at gully off the bowling of seamer Ben Cutting on 135, will facilitate this.