The 22-year-old Essex left-hander was left out of England's World Cup squad and hadn't been involved with the national side since January when their 5-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia came to an end.

But his fifth Test hundred in 15 matches was typical of the calm assurance that has been such a feature of much of his brief international career.

Cook, who guided England to 200 for three when bad light ended the day's play, had batted for over four hours and faced 173 balls with nine boundaries.

His innings was all the more impressive as West Indies won the toss and chose to field first in overcast, seam-bowler friendly, conditions.

Asked if it was his best innings for England, Cook replied: "It's the one I enjoyed the most.

"You've been watching England play on TV, you want to be there and then you are part of it. That's why it meant so much today (Thursday)."

England came into this match without injured captain Michael Vaughan and crocked all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.

"It's crucial you start well in the summer. You are in possession and you've got to score as many runs as you can when you can," added Cook, who last year scored a Test century at Lord's against Pakistan.

Cook, who as a schoolboy was coached by former England batsman Derek Randall before coming under the wing of Essex and England opening great Graham Gooch, said: "Every time you get to a hundred, you've got that Goochy voice inside saying 'make it a big un'.

"I've yet to do that really," said the opener whose highest Test score is the 127 against Pakistan he made at Old Trafford last year.

Runs were not easy to come by on a pitch that made strokeplay difficult and with play interrupted by several stoppages on the first day of a four-Test series.

"It was very slow. It was very hard to drive because nothing was really a half-volley out there and it nibbled around a bit," added Cook.

Cook emerged with some credit from the Ashes thrashing, with 116 in the Perth Test. But he said the tour had been a chastening experience.

"What happened there I wouldn't wish it on anyone's worst enemy. A lot of people went through hell on that tour. But you do learn more from when you do badly than when you do well."

West Indies quick Daren Powell, who led the attack with two for 52, refused to blame a lack of match practice for his side's waywardness in a morning session which finished with England 85 without loss.

"We bowled both sides of the wicket and didn't use the new ball as well as we should. I don't want to blame it on lack of practice. We are professionals and we were all over the place."

But a pep talk at lunch from new captain Ramnaresh Sarwan and stand-in coach David Moore led to an improved performance and Powell, in his first match at Lord's, said he'd no problems with the slope that runs across the ground.

"I heard a lot about the slope but I don't put that in the back of my head. I just focus on the job in hand."

Turning to Cook, he added: "He's a pretty patient batsman. He left a lot of balls outside off the off-stump but I believe in the morning we didn't make him play to our plan and that set him up for a good innings."