Mark Craig, in his sunglasses, opens the bowling for New Zealand. Cook continues his simple method: block the straight ones, leave the ones outside off. A maiden ensues.

Rob Stileman: Not a parent but a brother. Gary Butcher (brother of Mark) taught at my school. Good coach and a good man.

Thank you Mitch. Smiles on the New Zealand faces as they trot down the dressing-room steps, but they have plenty of graft ahead of them...

And after an entertaining, and may I stress wicketless middle session, it's over to James Gheerbrant to talk you through the last 38 overs of the day. No pressure, James...

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"I don't think we talk enough in English sport about what Alastair Cook's talent really is: stubbornness, concentration, the ability to have a real strong gameplan. What's he got in abundance is that inward talent - strength, character - more so than anyone else I played with. Talent comes from within, and there are many ways of producing good performances."

Benjamin: When Ali Cook is near his best we can play any team and never lose. When Ali Cook and Jimmy are near their best we can beat all.

BBC Radio Test Match Special

Bedford School head of music Andrew Morris on TMS: "He was a good musician. He had a natural sense of phrase. He understood the music he was performing, particularly as a pianist. His experience as a St Paul's chorister must have given him that power of concentration, no room for the wrong notes, no room for the right notes at the wrong time and I am sure that helped him in his sport."

BBC Radio Test Match Special

Bedford School cricket coach and former England batsman Derek Randall on TMS: "You can imagine as a cricket coach, to have the pleasure of working with somebody like Alastair Cook is very special. The first time I saw him on the bowling machine, I couldn't believe the balance and timing he had. He's a lovely lad, a very special boy."

Nick Brett: Somehow Cook still gets criticism! A phenomenal individual record and has led the side to historic wins abroad. All time great.

Stewart Mills: These guys complaining that Cook scores too slowly have NO idea about the role of an opening Test batsman.

Joel Fentem: If you think Alastair Cook scores too slowly then you don't understand Test cricket.

BBC Radio Test Match Special

Bedford School director of sport Guy Fletcher on TMS: "He turned up as a slightly frail 14-year-old, but we could see he had an immense amount of talent. He was also a very talented squash player and played fly-half in rugby. We're immensely proud as a school to see him as England captain."

Image source, Jeffrey G Wilkinson

BBC Sport has tracked down some photos of Alastair Cook from his primary school days.

From looking bored in French class to singing in the choir with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, click here to see a gallery of Cook's career.

Image source, Jeffrey G Wilkinson

TMS are now hearing from an array of Cook's former teachers and coaches, including ex-England batsman Derek Randall who coached him at Bedford School.

Did you know Alastair Cook, England captain and now leading Test run-scorer, once sang for the Queen?

Find out which reptile he has nightmares about being eaten by - and why he loves spending so much time with sheep...

BBC Sport looks at the different sides of Cook and how they shaped his path to the top.

Image source, St Paul's Cathedral School/Getty Images

And let's not forget, a record has fallen in that session - Alastair Cook is now England's all-time leading Test run-scorer.

Jeremy Coney
Ex-New Zealand captain on BBC Test Match Special

"England will be in comfortable frame of mind. Cook and Lyth have driven well, they've cut well, they've punched off the back foot well. The batsmen have had the odd discomfort but generally they've been very well in control. Batting has looked benign."

England 163-0 (50 overs)

Batsmen: Lyth 80*, Cook 71*

Bowling figures: Boult 16-3-50-0, Southee 12-1-39-0, Henry 11-3-43-0, Craig 10-5-16-0, Williamson 1-0-5-0.

New Zealand 350 all out (Ronchi 88, Latham 84, Broad 5-109)

England won toss

Full scorecard

Kane Williamson, who will have bowled here a few times for Yorkshire (before he was collared by the ICC for an illegal bowling action), is on for an over of part-time off-spin before the tea interval - and after a single of Cook, a very part-time half-tracker is despatched to the extra cover boundary by Lyth.

England's session - with their openers still together, and another piece in place for the Ashes (an Adam Lyth-shaped piece slotting into the opener's role).

Phil Acheson: I was taught French by Bob Willis's brother in 1983. Bob was the England captain in Australia on the 1982-3 Ashes tour. He brought Bob to the school and he signed some of my cricket books.

Peter Whipps: I was taught maths by Mike Brearley's father - Mike was a contemporary pupil at the same school.

A couple of singles banish any pessimistic thoughts of a follow-on, while Boult pings a delivery down the leg side which is signalled as four byes. I'm not sure if keeper Luke Ronchi has any French ancestry, as he gives a very Gallic shrug as if to say "how was I supposed to stop that?" The singles keep flowing, and England have nearly made it to the interval.