Cook ready to be put to the Test

Alastair Cook said he was fit for next month's first Test against the West Indies after scoring an unbeaten 74 against the tourists for Essex here on Sunday.

The England opener suffered a fractured left index finger when hit on the hand by county colleague Mervyn Westfield while batting in the nets three weeks ago and the left-hander was in discomfort during his first innings of 46 in this match.

But the pain started to ease second time around as the 24-year-old helped guide Essex to 175 for three at stumps on the second day of three and an overall lead of 292.

"It is still sore but it is definitely getting better," said Cook ahead of the May 6 start of the opening Test at Lord's, the first in a two-match series.

"It was much better than yesterday (Saturday).

"Perhaps I hit more balls out of the middle of the bat because it was the balls I didn't hit right yesterday that caused quite a bit of pain. Maybe it is just getting used to batting again."

Turning to the Test, Cook added: "I'll definitely be fine for that."

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the cornerstone of many a West Indies innings particularly during Tests against England, top scored with an unbeaten 66 in a meagre total of 146 all out which saw Essex quick Maurice Chambers, raised in Jamaica, take a career-best four for 62.

West Indies stand-in captain Darren Sammy said Chanderpaul had given the rest of the side a lesson in how to bat in typically English conditions.

"Chanderpaul showed on his first outing on tour he is still in excellent nick leading up to the Test series," Sammy said. "It was a lack of application and some poor shot selection from the rest of us.

"The ball was moving about a bit and Chanderpaul applied himself and judged the ball correctly - that is why he came off not out.

"We need to take a page out of his book and in the future look to play the way he plays," the all-rounder added.

"We have quite a few guys who have not played much cricket in England but we all have to learn very fast."