Harry Brook admitted he had “jam on his toast” by way of good fortune, with the 171 he blazed in the first Test against New Zealand featuring five dropped catches along the way. England’s No 5 was not even sure whether there had been five in his Test career before this, let alone in a single innings.
But equally the manner in which Brook utterly bludgeons a cricket ball was a contributing factor when chances came and went on 18, 41, 70, 106 on day two, then on 147 during the third morning. Just ask Glenn Phillips, who twice put him down in the gully, despite being among the world’s best fielders.
Related: England close in on victory as Chris Woakes takes charge in New Zealand
“I had a lot of luck, didn’t I? Jesus,” said Brook, having powered England to a 151-run lead on first innings that, with New Zealand 155 for six at the end of day three, left the tourists closing in on victory. “I had plenty of jam on my toast in the morning – it was a bit jammy – but I was happy to make the most of it.
“That first drop [from Phillips when Brook was on 18], I’m not sure many people are catching that, to be honest. I hit that very hard. I do throw my hands at it quite hard sometimes and it is going to be a good catch at gully there, especially with the viewing. I just go out there and watch the ball and try and hit it really.”
Brook even apologised to Ollie Pope after Phillips held a one-handed stunner at gully to end his 77 on day two, and was then struggling to stifle a laugh on the third morning when the same man put down a second there. “Catches win matches and we’ve taken a few,” added Brook, highlighting a chief difference in the match.
Either way, Brook continues to impress just 22 caps into his England career, with this his sixth Test century away from home, a seventh overall, and having become the second-fastest Englishman to 2,000 Test runs by way of innings (36). Fresh from a career-best 317 in Pakistan, foreign travel has very much suited him so far, even if he is yet to play Test cricket in Australia or India.
Asked about his penchant for New Zealand, where he now averages a neat 100 across five innings, Brook replied: “The pitches have been fairly good with a bit of pace and bounce, and if you get it past the infield most of the time it’s four. I’ve tried to use the pace, ride the bounce … and had quite a bit of luck this week.”
On Chris Woakes, whose overseas record sits in contrast to his stellar home returns but stepped up with three key wickets here, Brook added: “What we saw from Woakesy was unbelievable. With that ball, on that pitch, to get two big wickets [Kane Williamson and Tom Blundell] back-to-back was a dagger to their heart. He is always niggling away at the top of off stump and trying to hunt your front pad.”
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