New Zealand vs England: Harry Brook’s ‘favourite’ century creates chance to win series
It was breathless stuff at Basin Reserve, lifted by the Wonder of Wellington, the last time these two sides met on this ground. On that occasion New Zealand had won by one run.
Brook had scored a century even then. He also took his only Test wicket. In the second innings he was run out without facing the ball. Given the margin of defeat, England probably lost the match. This also affected his shot at the holy grail of Test batting records – the fastest man to score 1,000 runs – effectively ended.
Still, the numbers came back shockingly. In Christchurch he completed 2,000 Test runs in his 36th innings. Only Herbert Sutcliffe had got there faster for England, about 100 years earlier.
This century, scored in 91 balls in Wellington, was Brook’s second Test century better than one run on a ball. Lord Botham is the second Englishman to score two centuries at a fastest pace of over 100.
Brook’s eighth Test century came in his 38th innings, so his average is better than a century every five innings. For England, only Dennis Compton could reach eight three-figure scores in fewer innings.
The 2,225 runs Brook has scored in his first 23 Test matches are more than any other England player at this stage of his career. There are 118 runs between Brook and second-placed Wally Hammond and Brook still has one more innings to go in his 23rd Test.
After Brook’s 317 in Pakistan, James Anderson, who knows a thing or two about being the best of all time, raised eyebrows by saying that Brook could become England’s greatest batsman.
At the start of the Wellington Test, Brook was ranked as the second best batsman currently playing Test, behind England’s GOAT Joe Root. Root may not be rated as the best batsman in Yorkshire any time soon.
Kevin Pietersen was the second player mentioned by Anderson along with Brook, and they have similar styles. Such is Brook’s best record that KP has started wearing Harry Brook pajamas.
