Alastair Cook produced a master-class in concentration by scoring an unbeaten double century on Thursday to put his team in complete control of the fourth Ashes Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Already England's greatest run-scorer, the 33-year-old opener stonewalled Australia's bowling attack for more than 10-and-a-half hours, eclipsing a stack of historical batting records along the way as the tourists piled on 491 for nine at stumps on day three, a lead of 164 over Australia with one first-innings wicket still in hand.
* Cook became the first Englishman since Wally Hammond to score a double hundred at the MCG (in 1928).
* Cook's 244 not out is now the highest score made by any player against Australia in Melbourne, breaking the 208 Viv Richards made for the West Indies in 1984.
* Cook also overtook Mahela Jayawardene, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brian Lara to move into outright sixth place among Test cricket's all-time leading scorers.
* This was Cook's fifth double ton of his career and his highest score against Australia.
* By the time stumps were drawn, Cook had batted a total of 634 minutes, faced 409 balls and struck 27 boundaries.
