Big-hitting Harry Brook played a remarkable innings of 135 runs to rescue England’s batting innings as they were bowled out for 223 in the initial one-day international match against New Zealand on Sunday. Seamer Zakary Foulkes exploited favorable early conditions, taking four wickets and dismantling England’s top order, which struggled at 10-4 and then 56-6. Leading by example, Captain Brook spearheaded the recovery with a brilliant career-best ODI score, eventually getting out in the 36th over at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
Brook reached his century milestone by hitting three consecutive sixes off Jacob Duffy and went on to surpass his previous highest score of 110 not out, achieved against Australia in Chester-le-Street last year. In his 101-ball innings, Brook smashed 11 sixes, including a shot over third man to bring up his fifty off just 36 balls. Jamie Overton was the only other batsman to make a significant contribution, scoring a career-best 46 runs in a crucial seventh-wicket partnership of 87 runs with Brook.
At the beginning of the innings, Matt Henry dismissed Jamie Smith with the first delivery, while Foulkes impressed with his pace and skill, claiming the important wickets of Ben Duckett and Joe Root in his opening over. Jacob Bethall, Jos Buttler, and Sam Curran also fell to the new ball pair within the disastrous first 12 overs for England. Seamer Duffy took out Overton and finished with figures of 3-55.
New Zealand’s captain, Mitchell Santner, caught Brook in the deep to secure his only wicket. The upcoming matches are scheduled in Hamilton on Wednesday and Wellington on Saturday. England clinched the three-match T20 series 1-0 after two games were affected by rain in New Zealand.