Harry Brook seems unstoppable. And on a day when his eighth Test hundred – and seventh abroad – dominated an otherwise mediocre total of 280, England were grateful for his class at the Basin Reserve.
Their gratitude grew in the evening sunshine as New Zealand slumped to 86 for five, with Brydon Carse building on his Christchurch ten-for by taking the crucial wickets of Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell.
England are not yet favorites to win, but those two wickets felt like a step closer to a series victory in the final twenty minutes of the day.
Without Brook, things could be very different. He started the winter with a triple century in Multan, and last week at Hagley Oval he rode his luck all the way to 171. Now, in tricky conditions, and with his team in trouble on the first morning of the second Test, he might have played well his best innings yet: 123 off 115 balls that was cut short by the only dismissal that was likely to intervene: a run-out.
Ollie Pope contributed a sparkling 66, his second successive half-century from number 6, but no one else passed 17 in an innings marred by two collapses: four for 43 against Matt Henry and Nathan Smith after New Zealand won an important toss, then six for 63 either side of tea.
Yet it was the brilliance of Brook’s percussion that will be remembered. ‘Crisis – what crisis?’ It might as well have been the Bazballers’ motto but Brook took the carelessness to another level by coming at Smith and lifting him through extra cover into traffic on Kent Terrace. The overprice of 20: the counterattack had begun.
England took control on the first day of their second Test against New Zealand in Wellington
Harry Brook achieved his eighth Test hundred as he extended his phenomenal record abroad
Twice more, alongside Will O’Rourke and Smith, Brook danced towards the bowler and launched over the offside ropes, a stroke so fraught with risk that it requires the utmost confidence and hand-eye coordination to achieve it. A pull-off O’Rourke and an off-drive from Glenn Phillips’ off-spin completed a quintet of sixes.
It wasn’t long before he achieved a 91-ball century, his second-fastest (after 80 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi two years ago) and England’s 11th-fastest of all time. Only two players have two entries each in that top 11: Brook and Ian Botham.
At Hagley Oval, his rollicking strokeplay was interrupted by five drops. Here he gave just a chance at 50, while a direct hit from Smith – who collected the ball in his follow-through after Pope rushed for a single – would have brought his downfall.
When Smith hit the stumps in the last over before tea after Brook had advanced too far up the track and failed to regain his ground, he had taken his Test average to 61.80, and his overseas average to 91.50, the second only to Don Bradman. Remember, his success rate is 88. These are ridiculous numbers. As if it wasn’t already clear, England have their next big one.
In his slipstream, Pope has flourished, who is in danger of making such a good case for the No. 6 role that he may have to stay there.
Only the manner of his dismissal was a letdown. The over after he got away with a miscued pull-off from O’Rourke, he made the same mistake, this time providing an easy catch for Rachin Ravindra, who ran to his left from short leg.
The rest had come and gone in a blur. Zak Crawley became the second player, after Chris Gayle of the West Indies, to hit a six in the first over of a Test, but lost his partner Ben Duckett for a duck, sending Henry to second slip, and was subsequently dismissed by Henry bowled for 17 myself.
Joe Root, on three, played Smith to first slip, where Mitchell held a screamer, before Jacob Bethell – after two neat straight drives – was strangled for 16 by the same bowler.
England’s Brydon Carse (right) picked up two crucial late wickets to put England in control
Carse built on his Christchurch ten-for by taking the crucial wickets of Williamson and Mitchell
In the first Test, Brook and Pope had made 151 in 31 overs. Now they reached 171 of 26.2 – even more, even faster. But from 217 to four, Pope’s departure opened the floodgates.
Ben Stokes followed in O’Rourke’s next over and defensively moved to second slip for two. And Brook’s run-out led to a swift conclusion, a helters-skelter innings epitomized by Smith’s figures of 11.4-1-86-4.
The match remained in balance throughout the final session. Gus Atkinson extended Devon Conway’s struggle when a loose drive at second slip flew to Brook, while Carse Williamson looked as human as he has in any series.
The ball England thought he had cleared was unplayable: after delivery it was straightened, beating Williamson’s defensive incentive to hit back off stump, and sending Carse clear to cover in celebration.
But England were not distracted by the no-ball signal. Stokes had Latham hooked up for 17, his first Test wicket since July, and it was 64 for three when Ravindra’s inside edge of his pads ballooned in the general direction of short square leg. Pushing for the ball was that man Carse, who dived full length and held a stunning catch: 64 for three.
Carse was now unstoppable, steaming in to find Williamson’s lead with another peach and then drawing a glove on Mitchell’s leg side. In both cases, Pope completed the honors behind the stumps.
England ended the day with Carse bowling to six slips and two leg gullies, and nightwatchman O’Rourke fought for survival. Fifteen wickets and 366 runs: it was just another day at the Bazball office.