Harry Brook and Joe Root blaze centuries to sink New Zealand in ...
England have kissed a good few frogs over the years but on a Wellington pitch that started out green as Kermit himself came the latest evidence that, in Harry Brook, they have found a new middle order prince.
Not that the crown is slipping from the existing one. After recently questioning his role amid England’s aggressive resurgence, Joe Root found the answer that seemed obvious to all on the opening day of this second Test against New Zealand, patiently reaching his 29th century from 182 balls moments before rain brought stumps.
But as Root painted his latest masterpiece at one end, picking off seven fours, pinching ones and twos in wing-heeled fashion, and only bringing out the reverse scoop party trick towards the end, Brook’s remarkable introduction to the highest level continued at the other in a blaze of 24 fours and five jaw-dropping sixes.
The 23-year-old had walked out to the middle early with England a perilous 21 for three, Matt Henry and Tim Southee having got the red Kookaburra ball to zip off a baize surface at the Basin Reserve. By the time he strode off he was 184 not out from 169 balls, this his fourth hundred in his sixth Test match and unquestionably his best.
Together the two Yorkshiremen had put on an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 294 to see the tourists reach 315 for three from 65 overs. This master and apprentice alliance was a record for any English pairing on New Zealand soil, going past the 281 runs shared by Graham Thorpe and Andrew Flintoff at Christchurch in 2002.
Test cricket is supposed to be a daunting arena and yet Brook already has more runs - 807 - than any player in history after nine innings. The right-hander has also done this at a strike-rate of 99.38. As Root put it last week, the kid who once claimed his wicket in the Headingley nets with some filthy seam-up is now bullying international attacks.
None felt more bullied than Neil Wagner, the left-armer’s once productive bouncer tactic - one that has delivered over 250 Tests - treated with contempt. At times Brook simply backed away and carted straight him down the ground baseball style, Wagner shipping nearly seven an over on a supposed green top.
He enjoyed a back-and-forth battle with Henry after lunch, the right-armer driven straight when he went full but also beating the bat on occasion. Otherwise it was one-way traffic inside this roundabout of a ground, Brook bringing up his century midway through the afternoon from 107 balls, his 150 needing just 38 more.
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Things had begun in ominous fashion for the tourists. Though chastened by last week’s defeat under lights at Bay Oval, New Zealand strode onto their spiritual home to the soundtrack of their World Test Championship triumph two years ago - Vangelis’ haunting Conquest Of Paradise - and Tim Southee finally had a genuine new ball partner alongside him thanks to Henry’s hasty return from paternity leave.
Southee’s smile was broad upon winning the toss and vast as nearby Evans Bay after they had laid waste to England’s top order. Henry, a fine fast-medium whose bowling average of 41 is misleading, showed no sign of the fatigue from the early days of parenthood, Zak Crawley’s stagnant outside edge tickled behind on two and Ollie Pope, on 10, sending a thicker one high to the giant Michael Bracewell at third slip.
Bracewell then produced a collective gasp from the sell-out crowd, diving full stretch to his left after Ben Duckett’s hard-handed push at Southee on nine. Think Andrew Strauss off Adam Gilchrist at Trent Bridge back in 2005, with the man New Zealand call ‘the Beast’ mobbed by team-mates sensing the return to daytime Test cricket could prove a leveller in more senses than one.
It was a false dawn, however, and even a session in which England suffered three early losses concluded with 101 runs on the board. Brook brought up his half-century on the stroke of lunch, guiding one of Bracewell’s tepid off breaks behind square for his 10th four, but it turned out their new prince was only getting started.
Ali Martin’s full report to follow...
