'Brook has done a winter's work Santa would be proud of'

Harry Brook was connected his mode to talk to the media, but encountered a problem. He was locked out.

How New Zealand indispensable privation it was that elemental to support Brook quiescent successful the middle.

England's fig 5 had played what is apt to beryllium a match-defining innings successful the 2nd Test, a week aft helium played 1 successful the first. Brook's 123 connected the opening time successful Wellington, pursuing his 171 successful Christchurch, has the tourists successful scope of a bid win.

He is putting unneurotic a winter's enactment Father Christmas would beryllium arrogant of. The duplicate hundreds successful New Zealand are connected the heels of a triple-century successful Pakistan. The Yorkshireman's distant grounds is bettered lone by the large Sir Donald Bradman. He is the champion traveller to permission England since holiday-show Wish You Were Here big Judith Chalmers.

Given the lucifer concern and the conditions, this was Brook's champion sound of his 2024 circuit trio. The antheral himself went 1 signifier further and said it is his favourite of his 8 Test hundreds.

Either broadside of Brook's outlier concern worthy 174 with Ollie Pope, whose 66 provided invaluable support, England mislaid their archetypal 4 wickets for 43 runs and their past 4 for 21. England made 233 of their 280 runs portion Brook was astatine the crease. In all, 15 wickets fell crossed the day. Brook was 123-1, the remainder 243-14.

This was breathless worldly astatine the Basin Reserve, picking up from the Wonder of Wellington, the past clip these 2 sides met connected this ground. On that occasion, New Zealand won by 1 run.

Brook made a 100 then, too. He besides took his 1 and lone Test wicket. In the 2nd innings, helium was tally retired without facing a ball. Given the borderline of defeat, it astir apt outgo England the match. It besides dented, realistically ended, his changeable astatine the beatified grail of Test batting records - the fastest antheral to 1,000 runs.

Still, staggering numbers followed. In Christchurch helium reached 2,000 Test runs successful his 36th innings. Only Herbert Sutcliffe, astir 100 years ago, got determination faster for England.

This period successful Wellington, from 91 balls, was Brook's 2nd Test ton astatine amended than a tally a ball. Lord Botham is the different Englishman to marque 2 centuries striking astatine faster than 100.

Brook's eighth Test 100 came successful his 38th innings, truthful helium is averaging a period astatine amended than 1 each 5 knocks. Only Denis Compton got to 8 three-figure scores successful less innings for England.

The 2,225 runs Brook has made successful his archetypal 23 Tests is much than immoderate different England subordinate astatine this signifier of a career. There are 118 runs betwixt Brook and second-placed Wally Hammond, and Brook inactive has 1 much innings successful his 23rd Test.

After Brook's 317 successful Pakistan, James Anderson, who knows a happening oregon 2 astir being the champion of each time, raised eyebrows by saying Brook could extremity up arsenic England's top batter.

At the commencement of the Wellington Test, Brook was ranked arsenic the second-best batter presently playing Tests, down England's GOAT Joe Root. Root whitethorn soon not beryllium rated arsenic the champion batter successful Yorkshire.

Kevin Pietersen was the different subordinate Anderson mentioned alongside Brook, and their styles are similar. Such is Brook's superior record, KP has started wearing Harry Brook pyjamas.

The genius of Brook's 100 astatine the Basin was the mode successful which helium solved the occupation of runscoring.

Conditions connected Friday greeting were devilishly difficult. The shot was nipping, Matt Henry and Nathan Smith relentless successful their accuracy. England players were falling to edges and rash shots.

Brook said helium spent his last pre-match nett league connected Thursday defending everything helium faced, yet travel matchday knew that defence was the champion signifier of attack.

He got proactive. Brook moved astir his crease, trying to sound the Black Caps disconnected their enactment and length. Every 5th ball, 20% of the deliveries helium faced, Brook either precocious down the pitch, gave himself country extracurricular limb oregon walked crossed his stumps.

Three times Brook danced down to deed gait bowlers for sixes implicit the long-off region. One of them went retired of the ground. Brook deed 5 sixes successful total, arsenic galore times arsenic helium was dropped successful Christchurch. Rather than offering catches to fielders, helium gave them to the crowd.

The 24% of deliveries Brook played connected the beforehand ft was the lowest of each the England team. Playing truthful often connected the backmost ft shows 2 things: Brook persuaded New Zealand to driblet abbreviated and besides did not over-commit, watching the question and lessening the accidental of an edge.

If chancing the limb sounds simple, look what happened erstwhile Zak Crawley tried the same.

The England opener began the Test with an mean of 9.88 against New Zealand. If helium was anxious to ace on, helium was not helped by a hold to the commencement of play erstwhile a woman successful a floral formal stood down the sightscreen. The peculiarly mischievous would accidental it lengthened Crawley's accustomed clip astatine the crease against the Black Caps.

A six astatine the extremity of Tim Southee's archetypal over, the archetypal maximum struck by an England batter successful the opening implicit of a Test, astatine slightest took Crawley past his Kiwi average, but that was the peak.

A mates of chaotic hacks astatine Henry, past a nip-backer to instrumentality the apical of mediate stump sent Crawley connected his mode for a frantic 17. Henry has bowled 49 deliveries astatine Crawley successful Test cricket, dismissing him 5 times astatine an mean of 3.8. Crawley astir apt checks nether his furniture earlier helium goes to slumber to marque definite Henry isn't there.

It was reminiscent of Dan Lawrence's swiping successful the 2nd innings of the 3rd Test against Sri Lanka astatine The Oval successful September. Lawrence, opening successful spot of the injured Crawley, knew helium had 1 past innings to prevention his Test vocation and failed.

Crawley is astatine slightest harmless successful the cognition that England volition backmost him passim this bid and beyond. He does, however, person 3 much meetings with executioner Henry earlier helium tin flight location for Christmas.

Even if Crawley fails to marque different run, it looks apt England volition triumph this series, acknowledgment chiefly to Harry Brook.