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England's rising batting sensation Harry Brook admitted that his seventh Test century during the series opener against New Zealand in Christchurch was filled with fortune.
New Zealand granted Brook five lifelines, and the 25-year-old made the most of them. He played a commanding knock of 171, propelling England to a formidable total of 499. The 499-run total put England in a dominant position, as New Zealand ended day three trailing by just four runs with only four wickets in hand. Brook began day three alongside England's Test captain Ben Stokes. The pair added 39 runs from 34 deliveries, taking England past New Zealand's first-innings total of 348. "I had a lot of luck, didn't I? Jesus," Brook remarked, reflecting on the multiple chances he received during his 171-run innings, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. The 159-run partnership came to an end when Brook edged a delivery from Matt Henry to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell. Brook's dismissal lifted the spirits of the New Zealand players, who had been visibly frustrated as the Englishman began to accelerate his scoring. Brook was dropped four times on Friday, when he was on scores of 18, 41, 70, and 106. On Saturday, New Zealand spilled another opportunity when he was on 147. The young English batter noted that not all the missed chances were straightforward, particularly given the power with which he struck the ball, as evidenced by his 18 boundaries. "That first drop, especially, I'm not sure many people are catching that, to be honest. I hit that very hard," he said. "I do throw my hands at it quite hard sometimes, and it's going to take a good catch at gully, especially with the viewing conditions. Just go out there, watch the ball, and try to hit it really," he added. Brook's continued success against New Zealand is evident in his record: two centuries and two fifties in five innings. His only failure came with a duck in the fourth innings of the memorable 2023 Wellington Test. Explaining his approach against New Zealand, Brook said, "I've just gone out there and tried to play the ball, really. The pitches have been fairly good with a bit of pace and bounce, and if you get it past the infield, it's usually four. I've tried to use the pace, ride the bounce, and had quite a bit of luck this week." New Zealand ended the day at 155/6, with Daryl Mitchell and Nathan Smith unbeaten on 31 (99) and 1 (12), respectively. (ANI)
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