New Zealand vs England: Harry Brook smashes 123 off 115 balls before Black Caps collapse to 86-5 in reply

Harry Brook smashed a stunning 91-ball hundred to help rescue England from 43-4 on day one of the second Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand then subsiding to 86-5 in reply to the tourists’ 280 all out.

Gus Atkinson (1-18) and Ben Stokes (1-21) removed out-of-nick openers Devon Conway (11) and Tom Latham (17), respectively, while Chris Woakes (1-18) accounted for Rachin Ravindra (3).

Brydon Carse (2-28) was for a while beating himself up for a no-ball that cost him the wicket of Kane Williamson when on 20, but he more than made amends when firstly taking a terrific diving catch as part of Ravindra’s downfall and then finally bagging the key wicket of Williamson (37) as part of a late double-strike that also saw off Daryl Mitchell (6).

Earlier, inserted on a green seamer, England looked set to be bundled out cheaply as four wickets fell in the first 13 overs of the day, before the brilliance of Brook (123 off 115 balls), plus a more-than-handy 66 in support from Ollie Pope (66), bailed them out of trouble.

The pair pulled off a similar rescue mission in England’s win at the Hagley Oval a week ago, Brook following up his 171 in that series-opening success with an eighth Test ton here – and seventh overseas – as part of an 174-run partnership with vice-captain Pope.

The only difference to their 151-run stand in Christchurch was that England failed to kick on to a similarly sizable score once the breakthrough came for New Zealand, Stokes (2) departing cheaply a mere two overs later as the final six wickets fell for 63 runs.

But, with the Wellington wicket still providing plenty of assistance to their seamers, England will feel well pleased with their day’s work – New Zealand five down and still trailing by 194 runs – as they target what would be a series-clinching victory in the second Test of this three-match series.

Brook century sparks England fightback

It was no surprise when, having won the toss, New Zealand opted to insert England’s openers on a green-tinged surface, the move bringing near immediate dividends as Ben Duckett was dismissed for a duck and Matt Henry (2-43) also accounted for Zak Crawley (17), bowled through the gate.

Crawley had earlier become only the second batter in history to hit a six in the first over of a Test match, joining former West Indies opener Chris Gayle in doing so.

The Black Caps, guilty of dropping numerous chances in their first-Test defeat, were sharp to start proceedings here, Mitchell superbly snaffling up a sharp chance at slip to secure the key scalp of Joe Root (3).

It got worse for England when Jacob Bethell (16) gloved a short ball behind off Nathan Smith (4-86), reducing the tourists to 43-4 but, far from feeling sorry for themselves, the charge from Brook and Pope came immediately – and to great effect.

Pope got off the mark with four first ball, while Brook smashed Smith’s very next over for 19, it containing a glorious six smoked over wide long-off, one of five for the batter’s remarkable innings.

The fifty partnership was reached in only 37 balls, while Brook’s personal half-century was brought up off 47 on the stroke of lunch, shortly after another almighty maximum smashed into the stands straight back down the ground.

The carnage continued after the interval and it wasn’t long before Brook doubled up, his hundred – and second at the Basin Reserve – taking only 91 balls, but three deliveries later, England’s blistering batting assault was derailed with the wicket of Pope to a top-edged pull off Will O’Rourke (3-49).

The Black Caps quick then accounted for Stokes in his next over, edged to slip, as England’s lofty ambitions of a score of over 400 from mere moments earlier had to be checked as 217-4 turned into 222-6.

With Brook at the crease, a big score could still have been on the cards but England’s tail subsided rather meekly after their star man was run out, stranded down the pitch as a direct hit from Smith proved to be the last act of the afternoon session.

Carse salvo spares seamer’s no-ball blushes

In reply, New Zealand’s top order found the going against the new ball just as challenging as England’s had to start the day and, sans any sign of a Brook-style counter, the hosts find themselves reeling at 86-5 heading into day two – and with nightwatchman O’Rourke likely gifting a sixth soon on the second morning.

Atkinson struck first, tempting Conway into a flashed edge to Brook at second slip in the sixth over, while Stokes accounted for his opposite number as Latham chopped one onto his stumps, shortly after Carse’s no-ball mishap. It was the England skipper’s first Test scalp since July.

Carse had clean-bowled Williamson with an absolute beauty that seamed back sharply into the right-hander to beat his inside edge and clip the top of off-stump, but his joy was short-lived as he was shown to have overstepped.

Stokes’ wicket of Latham will have spared his blushes somewhat, while Carse then claimed a terrific catch, leaping full stretch after sprinting in from short midwicket, as Ravindra lobbed one up off his inside edge onto his thigh pad.

And while it might not have been quite as aesthetically pleasing as his earlier ‘wicket’ of Williamson, Carse was overjoyed that his error didn’t ultimately prove too costly as, having otherwise looked in imperious touch, the former Black Caps captain nicked off late in the day.

There was still time for one more breakthrough, too, as Carse and Pope again combined in his next over to see off Mitchell when fending one down the legside, to further emphasise England’s dominance.

Brook thrilled with ‘favourite hundred so far’

England batter Harry Brook, on his 123 off 115 balls:

“I think that might be my favourite hundred so far, I enjoyed that one a lot.

“Most of the balls came out of the middle of the bat and it feels pretty special to be batting like that.

“We were three down when I came in and the pitch was doing quite a bit. It was seaming and swinging so I’m just glad I put my attacking mode on. I really took it to them and put them under a lot of pressure.

“They had to try and bowl at the stumps early on and I felt like the time to run down was then; cash in when it’s full.

“I just tried to take them off their length and stop them bowling on the stumps.

“The best mode of defence for me was attack and thankfully it came off.”

England’s Test tour of New Zealand