England’s rising star Harry Brook produced a magnificent unbeaten century to bail his team out of trouble on day two of the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch. The 24-year-old right-hander rode his luck, surviving four dropped catches, but made the Black Caps pay with a power-packed 132 not out that lifted England to 319-5 at stumps, just 29 runs behind New Zealand’s first innings total.
New Zealand’s Butter Fingers
The hosts, fresh off a historic Test series win in India, were left to rue a shockingly sloppy display in the field. Six chances went down in total, with captain Tom Latham the chief culprit, shelling three catches including one off his counterpart Ben Stokes late in the day. But it was the lives given to Brook that proved most costly.
Brook’s Charmed Innings
The Yorkshire prodigy, who recently became the second fastest Englishman to 2,000 Test runs, was dropped on 18, 41, 70 and 106. While the ball did tend to fly hard off his blade, this was an innings as charmed as it was brilliant. Brook pummeled the bowling to all parts, unleashing crunching drives, vicious cuts and even an audacious ramp shot on his way to a seventh Test ton.
Fortune favours the brave and all that.
– According to a source close to the England camp
England in Early Trouble
Things had looked bleak for the visitors earlier in the piece. Resuming at 315-8, the Kiwi tail added 33 crucial runs before Brydon Carse wrapped up the innings for a well-deserved 4-64. England’s reply then got off to a disastrous start, crumbling to 71-4 after lunch as debutant Nathan Smith sparkled. The mustachioed seamer removed Jacob Bethell for 10 and Joe Root for a 4-ball duck to put the cat amongst the pigeons.
Pope & Brook Counter-Punch
But cometh the hour, cometh Ollie Pope and Brook. The pair launched a stellar counter-attack in a pivotal partnership of 151. Pope’s fluent 77 was ended by an absolute screamer from Glenn Phillips, but Brook continued on unabated, riding his luck but also peppering the boundary.
By the close, he had the wry smile of a man who knew things had gone his way. England, improbably, are now in pole position in this Test. New Zealand have only themselves to blame – three weeks after scaling rare heights in India, this was a jarring bump back to earth for the world’s #1 ranked team.
What Next for Pope?
An intriguing subplot now will be how England utilize Pope going forward. With first-choice keeper Ben Cox injured and fellow gloveman Ollie Robinson on his way to New Zealand, there is a case to persist with Pope behind the stumps to give new boy Bethell an extended run at first drop. Sources indicate coach Brendon McCullum sees Pope as a better fit down the order, where his attacking instincts can be given free rein. A fascinating match, and series, is now perfectly set up.
