Stephen Cook (cricketer)

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Stephen Cook
Personal information
Full name
Stephen Craig Cook
Born (1982-11-29) 29 November 1982 (age 41)
Johannesburg, Transvaal Province, South Africa
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
RoleOpening batsman
RelationsSJ Cook (father)
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 326)22 January 2016 v England
Last Test16 March 2017 v New Zealand
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2001–2015Gauteng
2004–presentLions (squad no. 6)
2015–presentNorth West
2017Durham
2018Glamorgan
Career statistics
Competition Test FC LA T20
Matches 11 197 156 20
Runs scored 632 13,331 5,456 477
Batting average 33.26 40.03 39.25 23.85
100s/50s 3/2 40/54 10/40 0/2
Top score 117 390 127* 66
Balls bowled 12 798 231
Wickets 0 11 5
Bowling average 42.36 46.00
5 wickets in innings 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0
Best bowling 3/42 1/2
Catches/stumpings 6/– 128/– 26/– 3/–
Source: CricInfo, 7 July 2017

Stephen Craig Cook (born 29 November 1982) is a South African Test cricketer, the son of former Test player Jimmy Cook. He is a right-handed opening batsman and very occasional right-arm medium bowler who initially played for Gauteng following his debut in 2001, and since 2004 for Lions.

Personal life[edit]

Cook was born in November 1982 in Johannesburg, Transvaal, son of former Test cricketer Jimmy Cook, himself an "exceptional opening batsman" with over 20,000 first-class runs.[1]

Domestic career[edit]

In 2009 he scored 390 runs in a single innings, surpassing several South African and international first-class cricket records, and was included in the South Africa A squad.[2][3]

Cook holds the record highest score in South African first-class cricket – 390 from 648 balls on 25 October 2009 against the Warriors – which was also the team's first triple century.[4][5] Cook had previously been a spectator to his father's own 313 and Daryll Cullinan's previous-record 337, and commented later that "When my brother and I used to play cricket in the garden, there was one score neither of us could ever go past and that was dad's. Neither of us could ever score more than 313."[6] Cook's score is also the twelfth-highest and fourth-longest in first-class cricket history – taking over 14 hours to complete – and was part of a record-breaking 365-run partnership with Thami Tsolekile, also a record for South African first-class cricket.[2]

In June 2018, Cook stepped down as the captain of Lions, after being in charge of the team for three seasons.[7]

International career[edit]

On 18 January 2016 he was added to South Africa's Test squad, and became the 6th South African (and 102nd Test player) to score a century on debut coincidentally at Centurion Park, which was a historical moment, during the first day of the fourth Test against England.[8][9]

Cook was the first South African to face the pink ball as well as the first ever delivery in a day-night Test match and coincidentally his father Jimmy Cook was also the first ever South African to have faced the white ball in an ODI.[10]

Cook is the first ever batsman to score a test century in the 3rd innings of a Day/Night test match, when he scored 104 in that innings. His 104 is still the highest individual score for any batsman in the 3rd innings of a day-night test match.[11]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "Stephen Cook". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Cook smashes South African batting record". ESPNcricinfo. 25 October 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  3. ^ "Parnell included in South Africa A squad". ESPNcricinfo. 10 June 2010. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  4. ^ "SuperSport Series, Warriors v Lions at East London, Oct 22–25, 2009". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
  5. ^ "Records / Lions / First-class matches / High scores". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
  6. ^ "Cook basks in 'almost perfect' innings". ESPNcricinfo. 27 October 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  7. ^ "Stephen Cook steps down as Lions captain". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Stephen Cook eager to take Test chance". ESPNcricinfo. 18 January 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  9. ^ "England tour of South Africa, 4th Test: South Africa v England at Centurion, Jan 22–26, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  10. ^ "A father, a son and SA's historical firsts". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  11. ^ "3rd Test: Australia v South Africa at Adelaide, Nov 24–27, 2016 – Cricket Scorecard – ESPN Cricinfo".

References[edit]