New Zealand cancels Brook's brave rescue effort
New Zealand cancels Brook's brave rescue effort
England vs New Zealand: 1st ODI, Harry Brookâs brilliant century gave England some hope, but New Zealand held their nerves to chase down 224 with four wickets in hand. Daryl Mitchell remained unbeaten on 78, while Michael Bracewell supported him well with 51 runs.
England’s innings started on the worst possible note. Matt Henry struck with the first ball of the match, sneaking one past Jamie Smith’s bat to hit the stumps. Zakary Foulkes then took charge, dismissing Ben Duckett with a clever delivery from around the wicket and sending Joe Root back with a perfect inswinger. England were left struggling at 5 for 3 in just a few overs.
Things got even worse when Jacob Bethell and captain Jos Buttler fell cheaply. By the 10th over, the scoreboard read a shocking 33 for 5. Foulkes continued his fiery spell, claiming his fourth wicket when Sam Curran edged one behind to the keeper. At 57 for 6, England were in deep trouble.
That’s when Harry Brook began his fightback. Playing with confidence and power, he took on the New Zealand bowlers fearlessly. Jamie Overton joined him, and the pair built a much-needed partnership. Brook reached his half-century in just 36 balls, hitting boundaries with ease while also rotating the strike smartly. Overton added 46 runs before being deceived by a slower ball from Jacob Duffy.
Duffy soon removed Brydon Carse for a duck, and England slumped to 143 for 8. But Brook wasn’t done yet. Controlling the strike cleverly, he smashed three sixes in an over off Duffy and repeated the same against Henry. His clean hitting lit up the stadium as he brought up 11 sixes in total. With help from Luke Wood, who faced just four balls, Brook added 57 runs for the last wicket.
His wonderful knock of 135 from 101 balls finally ended when he mistimed a slog sweep off Mitchell Santner. England were bowled out for 223 in 33.4 overs — a total that looked low but still gave them a chance, given the helpful pitch conditions.
England’s bowlers started strongly in defence of the total. Brydon Carse dismissed Will Young early and then sent Kane Williamson back for a golden duck. Luke Wood also joined in, removing Rachin Ravindra, and when Carse trapped Tom Latham LBW, New Zealand were reeling at 66 for 4. The game looked evenly poised.
Then came the match-turning partnership between Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell. The pair added 92 valuable runs, playing sensibly at first and attacking later. After the drinks break, they began finding boundaries regularly, easing the pressure on New Zealand.
Bracewell was eventually run out for 51 while trying to take a quick single, but by then, the chase was under control. Mitchell Santner played a quick cameo, hitting two sixes off Adil Rashid before getting out for 27. Daryl Mitchell stayed till the end, finishing the game in style with a boundary off Rashid to seal a four-wicket victory for New Zealand.
Despite Harry Brook’s stunning century, England’s poor start and lack of support from the rest of the batting lineup cost them the match. New Zealand’s calm approach and Mitchell’s mature innings ensured they took home a well-deserved win.