Alastair Cook became the first England batsman in nearly 50 years to score fifties in six successive Test innings on Saturday. The 26-year-old left-handed opener reached the landmark against Sri Lanka on the third day of the third Test at the Rose Bowl before being dismissed for 55.
Cook had scored three hundreds in his previous four Test innings, a sequence that started during England's victorious Ashes tour of Australia where he topped the batting averages with 776 runs, including three centuries, at 127.66. Not since Ken Barrington in 1962/63 against Australia and New Zealand had an England batsman scored six fifties in as many Test innings.
The only other England players to achieve the feat are Patsy Hendren (against the West Indies in 1929/30) and Ted Dexter (against Pakistan in 1962 and Australia in 1962/63). The world record of seven fifties in consecutive Test innings is shared by West Indies duo Everton Weekes and Shivnarine Chanderpaul and England coach Andy Flower, who scored his Test runs representing his native Zimbabwe.
Alastair Cook's run of fifties: 82 v AUS, Melbourne - 2010/11; 189 v AUS, Sydney - 2010/11 133 v SRI, Cardiff - 2011; 96 v SRI, Lord's - 2011; 106 v SRI, Lord's - 2011; 55 v SRI, Rose Bowl - 2011.
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