Captain Harry Brook’s outstanding century did not prevent England from suffering a defeat to hosts New Zealand in the first one-day international on Sunday. Despite Brook’s impressive 135 off 11 sixes, England only managed a total of 223 runs, which New Zealand comfortably chased down, finishing at 224-6 with over 13 overs to spare.
Daryl Mitchell, with an unbeaten 78, sealed the victory for New Zealand at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, giving the Black Caps a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The win was largely attributed to an exceptional bowling performance by New Zealand’s Zakary Foulkes, who claimed 4-41 and dismantled England’s top order, leaving them struggling at 10-4 and then 56-6.
Brook’s remarkable innings, where he achieved a career-best ODI score, played a significant role in England’s recovery. He reached his century with three consecutive sixes off Jacob Duffy before eventually being dismissed after a resilient 101-ball innings. Brook surpassed his previous best of 110 not out against Australia last year.
Reflecting on his performance, Brook stated, “I felt like I was in good touch. Obviously we didn’t get off to a great start and I tried to take it upon myself to have a counterpunch. I tried to get us to a decent total that we could defend.”
Apart from Brook, the only other notable contribution with the bat for England came from all-rounder Jamie Overton, who scored a career-best 46 in a crucial seventh-wicket partnership with Brook.
In the bowling department, New Zealand’s Matt Henry struck early, dismissing Jamie Smith with the first ball of the innings, setting the tone for Foulkes to wreak havoc and claim key wickets, including Ben Duckett and Joe Root, in his first over.
New Zealand’s captain, Mitchell Santner, commended the performance of his bowlers, particularly Foulkes, emphasizing the importance of taking wickets consistently.
Despite a shaky start to their innings, New Zealand recovered well, with Mitchell anchoring the middle order alongside contributions from Tom Latham and Michael Bracewell. Mitchell was fortunate to survive an early dropped catch but capitalized on the opportunity to guide his team to victory.
The upcoming matches in the series will take place in Hamilton on Wednesday and Wellington on Saturday, following England’s 1-0 victory in the rain-affected three-match T20 series.