Cook breaks Gooch's England Test runs record

LEEDS: Alastair Cook became England's highest-ever run-scorer in Test cricket when he broke the record of batting mentor Graham Gooch during the second Test against New Zealand at Headingley on Saturday.

The 30-year-old left-handed opener started England´s reply to New Zealand´s first innings 350 on Saturday needing just 32 more runs to surpass Gooch´s mark of 8,900 runs in 118 Tests.

Cook, first coached by ex-England captain Gooch as a schoolboy, reached lunch unbeaten on 27.

Then, to his 13th ball after lunch Cook passed Gooch -- whose runs came in four more Tests (118 to 114) -- when he square-drove Tim Southee for four to break a record that had stood for nearly 22 years.

Cook, speaking on Thursday, insisted he was nowhere near Gooch´s class as a batsman and tried to play down the significance of the landmark.

"It would be a lovely moment. I wouldn´t put myself anywhere near in his class but it would be a great moment," said Cook.

"If I´m lucky enough to get that it will be a moment I´ll remember but if I am 30 not out it´s important in a game situation I go on and get a big score," added the left-handed Cook, like the right-handed Gooch an Essex and England opening batsman.

Cook added: "I wouldn´t be here, or anywhere near here, without Goochie´s help, so it will be slightly strange if I do go past his record because without his hard work and dedication to me and my game, I wouldn´t have scored half the runs I would have done.

"It´s a bit of a strange one. But there will only ever be one Graham Gooch. He´s England greatest-ever batsman."

By going past Gooch, Cook moved up to 13th place on the all-time list of leading run-scorers in Test cricket, where retired India great Sachin Tendulkar remains way out in front with 15,921 runs in 200 matches.