Harry Brook is less than two months removed from scoring a staggering 317 – only the sixth triple-hundred scored by an England player – but he rates his sparkling 91-ball century on day one of the second Test against New Zealand as his “favourite”.
Aiding the cause of Brook’s innings in Wellington over his triple against Pakistan, remarkable though it was, is the fact that, unlike the road in which England plundered 823 on in Multan, this century was scored with his side in deep trouble at 43-4 and 26-3 when he arrived at the middle.
Brook then proceeded to launch a blistering counter-attack, smashing 11 fours and five sixes in his 123 off 115 balls, his eighth Test ton and seventh overseas improving his astonishing average away from home to 91.50.
“I think that might be my favourite hundred so far, I enjoyed that one a lot,” Brook said at the close of play, England having reduced their hosts to 86-5 in reply to their first-innings 280.
“Most of the balls came out of the middle of the bat and it feels pretty special to be batting like that.
“We were three down when I came in and the pitch was doing quite a bit. It was seaming and swinging so I’m just glad I put my attacking mode on. I really took it to them and put them under a lot of pressure.
“They had to try and bowl at the stumps early on and I felt like the time to run down was then; cash in when it’s full.
“The best mode of defence for me was attack and thankfully it came off.”
‘It could be the game-defining knock’ – Nasser on Brook hundred
Four of Brook’s eight Test hundreds have been bigger than his 123 on day one in Wellington. As well as that career-best triple in Multan, the Yorkshireman hit 171 in England’s series-opening win just last week, albeit he was dropped five times over the course of that innings in Christchurch.
Harry Brook smashed 123 off 115 balls to rescue England from 43-4 in their first innings against New Zealand
Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain believes the testing conditions Brook faced on the first morning at the Basin Reserve – New Zealand winning the toss and bowling first on a green seamer – makes his latest century stand out.
“What a joy it is to watch Harry Brook bat at the moment. He said was his best 100 – and you can see why,” Hussain said.
“When you end your career, you will remember the hundreds that you had to work really hard for.
“The conditions were so in favour of the bowlers. It was seaming, it was swinging, it was bouncing, and he counter-punched perfectly.
“And it was chanceless. It wasn’t like the last one [in Christchurch], where he was given five chances.
“Given the conditions, it could well be the game-defining knock. Still plenty of time to go, but it was an incredible innings.”
I have been so impressed with Brydon Carse, ever since he came into the side. He can be the enforcer and bang it in halfway down, he can bowl really quick and he can pitch it up and show his skills.
Out of who has had the best winter so far – I know Harry Brook will take the headlines – I’d have to say Carse would be right up there as well.
The brilliance of Brook, ably supported by Ollie Pope (66) in a 174-run partnership for the fifth wicket, was sandwiched in between two sizeable collapses of 4-43 from the top order and 4-21 from the tail.
But Hussain thinks England, and Brook in particular, got the balance between attack and defence right on this occasions, something that hasn’t always been the case in the ‘Bazball’ era.
Harry Brook and Ollie Pope shared in a 174-run partnership, a week on from putting on 151 together in the first Test
“They will get it wrong,” Hussain admitted before adding: “But overnight, I thought they got it pretty much right, because the ball did a lot. It really did.
“There’s two ways to go in those sort of conditions: you can try and trust your technique and survive, but eventually there may be a ball with your name on it, or you can go the other way, which this England side will always do.
“They try and attack and put pressure on the bowlers. You can imagine an old England side will have tried to hang in and have got to 100-6, as opposed to 200-6.
“Because of the tempo they score at, they have got an above par score having lost that toss.”