Christophe Talbotski: This is the innings for a Cook century. Guaranteed or pick me a forfeit.

Rachel T: Now come on Alastair. Any old lucky, scratchy, hanging-by-your fingernails century will do!

Anante Jariwala: I have a good feeling about Cooky's innings today.

Shannon Gabriel, in the side for the injured Jerome Taylor, shares the new ball, boosted by his efforts with the bat. All leg and little trunk, we expect him to have some gas. There you have it, 92.6mph, the fastest ball of the match so far. Cook, as certain around off stump as a man groping for the light switch in the dark, tentatively angles between the slips and gully for four as Gabriel keeps the clock above 90. When Gabriel comes round the wicket, Cook pulls for four with much more authority.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"Maybe I should not be thinking of Australia and their quicker bowlers but if Trott is playing as an opener and they bowl like they did in the World Cup then they will not let him get forward."

Eeessshhh, Cook is beaten twice in the first three balls in exactly the area that every bowler in the world knows to bowl at him. Full, on or around off stump. Pokey, pokey, play and missy. Just an observation, but his stance looks much more open that it used to be, with his body more chest-on to the bowler. If anything, that would add to his problems outside off stump, making it harder to get across to the ball. Anyway, he clips a full ball through the leg side and takes three.

Alastair Cook is scratching away at his guard, Kemar Roach is marking out his run. At the non-striker's end, Jonathan Trott is doing some gardening. Three slips and a gully wait. The tension begins...

Jon Dunn: What odds on a hundred plus England opening partnership? Big, I imagine.

Rich Adams: Cook knows he's under pressure, he knows runs are a must, the self doubt must be huge. It's time to lead AC.

Image source, Reuters

That scorecard entry has me in mind of how much fun it is to look at old scorecards, from every level of the game (I don't care if that makes me sound sad). They are moments in time, a snapshot of the state of a team. They also throw up some excellent questions. Why did Morne Morkel open the batting in that Test match? How did Aftab Habib manage to play for England? You know the type. Who hasn't spent hours leafing through Playfair or Wisden and taking in old scorecards? Wonderful.

West Indies 299 all out

Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Brathwaite 1), 2-28 (Smith 15), 3-65 (Bravo 35), 4-74 (Chanderpaul 1), 5-129 (Blackwood 26), 6-223 (Samuels 103), 7-233 (Ramdin 31), 8-246 (Holder 22), 9-247 (Roach 1), 10-299 (Bishoo 30)

Bowling figures: Anderson 24-10-47-2, Broad 24-9-61-4, Jordan 25-4-65-2, Moeen 13.4-1-47-1, Stokes 17-7-66-1, Trott 1-0-2-0

Scorecard

David: Were the West Indies tail just really good or were Englands bowlers poor? I'm not sure.

Marko Koning: England's batsmen under pressure. Has number four in the batting-order already his boots on?

Image source, Getty Images

It seems like a long time ago that England won the toss and chose to bowl, doesn't it? Thanks to some rain, some inconsistent bowling and no little Windies resistance, England have needed the best part of two days for the chance to put the mums and dads on. How good a score is 299? We're about to find out. Initially, all of the pressure will be on the under-fire England openers.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"With Gabriel and Roach if they don't bowl well they will get clattered. Unless somebody bowls really badly then it is going to be a really hard graft. I think England can make a fist of it and it will be disappointing if they do not."

Joseph: I once met Mr Bishoo on a plane to the Carribean and had a few drinks with him. He was convinced that he was an all rounder. I thought it was the drink talking, but clearly not!

BBC Radio Test Match Special

On Test Match Special during the tea interval, you can hear from Derbyshire wicketkeeper Tom Poynton, who is returning from a year out of the game because of injuries sustained in a car crash that killed his father.

The impressive young man was talking to our very own Sam Sheringham.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"It was a brilliant effort by the batsman. I said last night that if they got 300 then they would have batted well. We saw Broad bowl very well in moments today."

Image source, Reuters

That'll do, England can finally have a bat. Umpire's call for point of impact and line, but enough vindication for Bruce Oxenford to give Devandra Bishoo the finger for the second time. West Indies are 299 all out, thanks in no small part to that very handy last-wicket partnership of 52. We'll take tea, then all eyes on Mssrs Cook and Trott.

No bat...

Is the torture over? Bishoo sweeping Moeen. Looks out and is good enough for Bruce Oxenford. Up goes the finger. Bishoo, enjoying himself, wants another look.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"Fantastic batting. Tail-enders getting bat to ball and taking some risks."

Last-wicket partnerships are the best thing ever if they are for your team and more annoying than Alan Carr if they go against you. England have done so much right in this afternoon session, but Gabriel and Bishoo are now making them look a bit village. Chris Jordan serves up a long half-volley and the left-handed Bishoo, batting like David Gower, languidly lofts over mid-off for four. Next ball, up and over the covers. Bishoo's highest Test score, 50 partnership. All very silly.

Zigzag: These last wicket partnerships vs England are becoming a regular thing. Time to pick Plunkett just to clear up the tail?

Andy Compton: Which is more likely - a goal in the CL Madrid derby or England getting a tenth wicket?

Matt Wilkinson: England's inability to bowl out a tail showing again! This partnership is costly!