Birmingham: Alastair Cook remained unbeaten on 153 and stitched a sublime 248-run stand for the third wicket with captain Joe Root (136), taking England to a commanding 348/3 on Day I of their first Day/Night Test, against West Indies, at Edgbaston.
Root was out in the final session off the bowling of Kemar Roach, who has taken two wickets so far.
At stumps, Dawid Malan (28) is the other batsmen at the crease, after a reprieve when just on one. Cook and Root cashed in on anything loose and ill-directed, as England recovered strongly from another poor start with the bat when they had slumped to 39 for two after winning the toss.
Root would have been hoping for a steady opening stand, but Mark Stoneman, making his debut as Cook's latest partner, was bowled by a fine delivery from Roach.
Miguel Cummins trapped Tom Westley leg-before, the West Indies successfully reviewing the umpire's not out decision to leave England in trouble at the start of the three-match series.
Cook and Root dug in, however, taking advantage of good batting conditions and wayward bowling with a flurry of crisp boundaries to give their side a solid platform.
Cook brought up his fifty shortly before lunch and Root soon followed him to the milestone, posting a half-century for the 11th Test in a row to equal the record in five-day cricket.
The prolific right-hander continued to play immaculate strokes all round the ground and he reached his 13th Test hundred by sweeping off-spinner Roston Chase for his 19th four. England, fresh from beating South Africa 3-1, are strong favourites to overcome a callow West Indies side without many of their leading players due to contractual disputes with their cricket board.
The fifth ever Day/Night Test and first in England, played with an unfamiliar pink ball, was expected to offer the visiting side their best chance of an upset. But they wasted the chance with their erratic bowling.
Earlier, Root, after winning the toss in what was overall the fifth Day/Night Test, said that very exciting times were ahead.
"It looks a good wicket. We'll have to see how the pink ball performs. It's a very exciting time, very new for everyone here," Root said.
Precisely, the first session of the Test started on a bright note for the West Indies.
But then their sloppiness took over, with frequent boundary balls easing the pressure off Cook and Root.
