CRICKET: Alastair Cook said his lean summer spurred him on to his prolific Ashes series.

The 26-year-old scored 189 in England’s first innings, taking him to 766 for the series, as England moved into a commanding position in a Test match they need only to draw for a first victory in Australia since 1987.

From an individual perspective, the score helped the Essex batsman, from Wickham Bishops, surpass the likes of John Edrich, Geoff Boycott, Graham Gooch and Denis Compton in total runs scored for England in a Test series.

There is now only Wally Hammond to overtake.

Hammond hit 905 in the 1928/29 Ashes, a score that will be incredibly difficult to surpass, especially as England may not bat again this series.

Cook has also batted for 2,171 minutes in the Tests to date, scoring three centuries, while he has also passed 1,000 runs in 15 first-class innings on the entire tour.

Asked what has motivated him this winter, Cook said: “When you don’t score runs.

“I spent a lot of last summer not scoring runs. It’s pretty lonely.

“When you don’t get any for a while, then you find form, you’ve got to make the most of it.”

On his concentration and stamina, Cook added: “You can switch off a little bit at the non-striker’s end.

“When you’re batting well you get into a rhythm, you don’t get flustered. Suddenly an hour goes, its drinks and you don’t know where it’s gone.

“I do a lot of hard work in the gym. I’m lucky I don’t sweat, I don’t get too hot, and I’m pretty fit.

“With my technique, I’ve gone back to what I started with. We’ve got great confidence in how we've been playing.”