Brook's 132 puts England on top against NZ

November 30, 2024 00:00:00

England's Harry Brook celebrates his century during the second day of the first Test cricket match between New Zealand and England at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Friday — AFP

CHRISTCHURCH, Nov 29 (AFP): A fearless Harry Brook slammed an unbeaten century to give England the upper hand in the first Test against an error-strewn New Zealand on day two in Christchurch on Friday.

At stumps Brook was 132 not out with the visitors recovering from 71-4 to be 319-5, trailing the hosts by 29 runs and with five wickets in hand.

Captain Ben Stokes was unbeaten on 37 after being dropped by Tom Latham on 30 -- New Zealand's sixth dropped catch and the third by their skipper.

After England's woeful start the 25-year-old Brook, in partnership with Ollie Pope, went on the attack.

Aided by luck from poor fielding and several edges sailing just wide or over slips, the pair belted 151 off 171 deliveries for the fifth wicket.

Brook was dropped four times -- on 18, 41, 70 and 106 -- with the last detected by television replays after the umpire ruled the ball spilled by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell was byes.

England's batting onslaught came as the cloud cover which aided the New Zealand seamers in the first session gave way to blue skies.

New Zealand, 319-8 overnight, were all out for 348 and then reduced England to 45-3 by lunch.

When Ben Duckett went for 46 after lunch England were on the ropes at 71-4, but it would be 30 overs before New Zealand claimed their next wicket.

Pope was on 77 with eight fours to his credit when he slashed at a wide delivery from Tim Southee and a diving Glenn Phillips grabbed a stunning one-handed catch.

He threw his arms in the air in celebration, in stark contrast to when he put his head in his hands earlier after Devon Conway dropped Brook off his bowling.

In the early cloudy conditions the New Zealand seamers were in their element with plenty of movement.

A Matt Henry delivery that nipped in trapped Zak Crawley lbw without scoring.

Debutant Nathan Smith followed with an angled delivery to Jacob Bethell which was edged to Blundell and England's debutant was gone for 10.

Four balls later, of which two were no balls, a similar angled delivery cramped Joe Root -- in his 150th Test -- for room and it deflected off his pads and on to the stumps for nought.