Cook scores ton but England held to draw

Alastair Cook scored a century but England fell short of securing victory in their opening two-day warm-up match against a St Kitts and Nevis XI in the Caribbean.

The match ended in a draw with a second-string England attack needing three more wickets to win, after the home side slumped to 7-76 in their second innings. 

None of first-choice seamers James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Jordan bowled during the tiny Caribbean island's second dig.

England will now play another two-day match against the same opposition on Wednesday, with the format changed to allow the visitors maximum preparation for next Monday’s first Test.

Cook’s team will bowl all of the scheduled 90 overs on the opening day, regardless of how many St Kitts and Nevis wickets fall, before batting through the second day.

The re-jigged format could see England’s bowlers rack up the wickets, after they dismissed the hosts for 59 in the first innings in just 26.4 overs.

On Tuesday, Cook resumed on 95 and wasted no time reaching his first century in 18 months before retiring on 101.

Ian Bell and Joe Root scored 59 and 64 respectively earning valuable time in the middle ahead of the first Test, while No.3 Gary Ballance was the only batsman to miss out, scoring 16.

Image Id: ~/media/E502E718085540B1AF775132129CF467Joe Root plays a shot on his way to a half-century // Getty Images

Ben Stokes chipped in with 41 in an innings featuring seven fours and a six, while Jos Buttler scored an unbeaten 18 before England declared at 6-379.

On the opening day, Jonathan Trott had scored 72 opening alongside Cook, in his return to the England set-up for the first time since he left the 2013-14 Ashes tour with what was later diagnosed as situational anxiety.

England looked bound for victory when St Kitts and Nevis slumped to 6-24 in the 18th over, but the hosts held out for a further 17 overs for a draw thanks to a fighting 20 not out from Akeem Saunders.

James Tredwell claimed 3-25 while there were wickets for Liam Plunkett Adil Rashid and Mark Wood, who made headlines last week after revealing he uses an imaginary horse to keep him company in the field.

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On day one, England bowled out the XI from the tiny Caribbean island for 59, with Stokes taking 3-10 in six overs while Jordan (2-19), Broad (2-16) and Anderson (1-8) also chimed in.

The first Test begins on April 13 in Antigua.