Alastair Cook becomes highest run-scorer in Test cricket for England

Cook, playing his 114th Test, raised his bat to all corners of the ground as he received a standing ovation from a packed crowd basking in warm sunshine. (Source: AP)

England captain Alastair Cook became his country’s highest run-scorer in Test cricket on Saturday.

The 30-year-old left-hander drove New Zealand’s Tim Southee to the cover boundary after lunch on the second day of the second Test at Headingley to pass Graham Gooch’s 8,900 runs for England.

Cook, playing his 114th Test, raised his bat to all corners of the ground as he received a standing ovation from a packed crowd basking in warm sunshine.

Gooch, 61, has had a major influence on Cook’s career in his role as England batting coach and his strong links with Essex, the county Cook plays for and who Gooch represented from 1973-1997.

Cook is now 13th on the list of Test cricket’s leading run-scorers. Former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar heads the standings with 15,921 runs.