Harry Brook hits stunning century to lead England fightback in Wellington Test
Harry Brook bailed England out with a magnificent century on day one of the second Test against New Zealand before being run out on the stroke of tea in Wellington.
The tourists were reeling at 43 for four after being sent in at Basin Reserve but Brook conjured a counter-attacking masterclass to carry them to 259 for seven at the break.
Brook had luck on side when he was dropped five times in his 171 in last week’s win at Christchurch but did not offer a single chance until he misjudged a single and saw Nathan Smith hurl down the stumps. Having ended his assault, New Zealand would have ended the afternoon happy with their work.
England’s top order had been toppled in a chaotic first hour but Brook and Ollie Pope (66) changed the conversation with a wonderful stand of 174. The fifth-wicket pair had also rescued their side in the series opener, putting on 151 from a similarly precarious position.
The tone of the day was set by Zak Crawley, who tried to blast his way into form after making one run in two innings last week. He doubled that match tally with an inside edge off the first ball of the match, then drilled Tim Southee’s sixth ball for six down the ground.
In doing so he became just the second batter in history to clear the ropes in the first over of a Test, joining West Indian Chris Gayle’s exclusive club. He continued to throw his hands wildly at almost everything, playing and missing at an alarming rate before Matt Henry bowled him through the gate with a beauty.
Somehow Crawley still outlasted partner Ben Duckett, nicking to slip for an eight-ball duck as Henry pieced together an opening burst of four consecutive maidens and two wickets.
Joe Root’s arrival failed to calm things, the world’s number one batter lasting just seven balls before shaping to carve Smith to third man. It was a bold stroke with a packed slip cordon waiting to pounce and Daryl Mitchell made him rue the attempt, diving one-handed for a fine catch as the hosts’ improved catching continued to pay dividends.
England lost their fourth wicket inside 13 overs when Jacob Bethell followed up two crunching straight drives by clipping Smith’s wayward short ball down leg.
New Zealand continued to win the occasional moral victory, beating Brook on both edges and almost persuading Pope to drag on, but the runs kept flowing. Brook frequently stepped outside leg to free up his mighty swing, while Pope looked to work the gaps behind square.
Brook raced to fifty in 47 balls and was just as destructive in the afternoon. He showed off his power game by clearing the boundary boards at extra-cover and midwicket, then clobbered the spin of Glenn Phillips all the way over long-off.
He sauntered to three figures in 91 balls, the second fastest of his England hundreds. New Zealand were struggling for answers until O’Rourke got them back in the game with a timely intervention.
He bounced out Pope, who survived one mis-hit pull then perished to a second, then squared up Ben Stokes from round the wicket as he nicked off for two.
Brook’s wicket was the one they badly needed, though, and he gave it up softly – setting off for a run that never looked on as Smith ran him out in his follow-through.