Somerset handed off-spinner Shoaib Bashir a first-class debut, having recently made his T20 bow and received a two-year contract.

The 19-year-old played age-group cricket for Surrey, Middlesex, and Berkshire before impressing Somerset while on trial last summer.

He started out of Championship career with a maiden to Cook, which included two deliveries that produced significant turn – sadly it wasn’t a prophecy of things to come, although Cook would only score 20 runs off him all day.

Shoaib Bashir said: “It was quite a special feeling to be bowling to Alastair Cook in my first over.

“His record is unbelievable. To be bowling at him, and the patience he showed…it’s something else. I’m very privileged to be bowling at him."

Speaking about the turn of the ball and the pitch, Bashir said: "I got a bit of turn as it was still a newish ball but as the day went on I didn’t get a lot of turn.

“There is a bit in the pitch. There’s a lot of spin that I get with the newer ball. With the seamers, there is enough in that wicket. I think tomorrow will be a very interesting day to see when Essex go out and bowl and see how they go about it."

And he added that it has been a lifelong dream to play County Championship cricket.

“I started off at Surrey when I was nine. I went through the age groups and go released when I was 17. Then I made a move to Middlesex and for Berkshire as well. I played against the Somerset under 18s, got some wickets and then got called up from the Somerset 2s. It has been a mad journey.

“I’ve always dreamed about being a professional cricketer. It means the world. I’m going to keep working hard, keep grinding and hopefully maintain this level. Still a lot to work on.

“I’ve got mentors in Roelof [van der Merwe] and [Jack] Leachy which is absolutely unreal. Learning and new experiences is what it’s about.”

Bashir would bowl 29 tidy overs from the River End, and despite going wicketless made scoring hard in his nought for 89.