«Breaking News» Alastair Cook left holding back the tears after England century

Alastair Cook signed off from Test cricket with a superb 147 to give England a chance of completing a memorable 4-1 victory over India, and admitted: 'Sometimes dreams come true.'

Cook described his experience at The Oval, where he has received 15 standing ovations since the start of the game, as 'the most surreal four days of my life'.

With England needing seven more wickets to wrap up victory, Cook finished with a grand total of 12,472 Test runs at an average of 45.35, and earned his most emotional ovation when Jasprit Bumrah's wild overthrow for four completed his 33rd and final hundred.

Alastair Cook celebrates reaching his 33rd and final hundred for England on Monday

'I remember cutting it to get to 97, and thinking three more to go. Just as he let it go, I thought he's launched that pretty hard. Then I saw Ravi [Jadeja] wasn't anyway near it. I thought it was four straight away.

'It was very emotional. There was definitely a lump in my throat. I had about 30 friends and family here, so you couldn't have scripted it. It's one of those days where you will look back and forever go: "Wow!"

'From a selfish point of view, I couldn't have asked for a better week for me. There have been bigger things in more important games. But in one way, people said the pressure would be off. In another way, each reception I've got has increased the pressure not to get nought or get out early every morning. It's a nice way to go.'

By the end of the day, with Cook under the helmet at short leg as Moeen Ali tried to winkle out a fourth Indian wicket, sections of the crowd were singing the Barmy Army's 'Ali Cook' song, to the tune of KC & The Sunshine Band's 'Give It Up'.

Cook reached his hundred at The Oval thanks to Jasprit Bumrah's wild overthrow for four

Cook received another standing ovation when he left the field at the end of the day's play

Did the fact that he had marked his final Test appearance with a total of 218 runs make him reconsider his decision to call it a day at the age of 33? Not a bit of it.

'It absolutely confirms it,' he said. 'This decision was not just a culmination of three or four bad games. It came from 12 or 18 months.

'It's just time, for me and for my family. And it's always nice people wanting a little bit more from you, rather than kicking you out. To go out on your own terms makes it perfect.'

All that remains now is for England to complete victory and his wife Alice, who was here to cheer him on, to give birth to their third child.

'I don't know how I've managed it,' he said of the hundred. 'But it's really nice when your last innings for England is a hundred. And to top it off with a 4-1 win over the No 1 side in the world would make it all very special.' 

Cook speaks to the media after an emotional day at The Oval in which he played a key role

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https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/10/alastair-cook-left-holding-back-the-tears-after-england-century/
Main photo article Alastair Cook signed off from Test cricket with a superb 147 to give England a chance of completing a memorable 4-1 victory over India, and admitted: ‘Sometimes dreams come true.’
Cook described his experience at The Oval, where he has received 15 standing ovations since the start of...

It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.

Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.

Dianne Reeves Sport HienaLouca





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