Harry Brook’s astonishing hundred came in vain as England paid the price for an abject batting display overall as well as dropped catches with a four-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the first one-day international at Mount Maunganui.
England captain Brook (135 off 101 balls; 11 sixes and nine fours) accounted for 60.53 per cent of the runs in his side’s 223 all out in 35.2 overs, with Jamie Overton (46) the only other player to make double figures and Sam Curran the third highest scorer with six.
The extras tally (17) was greater than the combined innings of six of England’s top seven, with Jamie Smith (0) – bowled by Matt Henry from the first ball of the match – Ben Duckett (2), Joe Root (2), Jacob Bethell (2), Jos Buttler (4) and Curran out inside 12 overs at Bay Oval as the tourists slumped to 10-4 and 56-6 after being inserted.
In reply, England reduced New Zealand to 24-3 inside five overs – Brydon Carse (3-45) inflicting a first ODI golden duck on Kane Williamson – but dropped catches ultimately cost the tourists as the hosts triumphed with 80 balls in the bank – Daryl Mitchell (78no off 91) finishing things with a leg-side four off Adil Rashid (1-69).
Michael Bracewell (51 off 51) was spilled on two by Root at slip and Mitchell on 33 by Luke Wood at backward point during a fifth-wicket stand of 92, while Carse grassed Mitchell Satnter (27 off 25) on two at deep fine leg.
The Black Caps take a 1-0 lead into the second ODI in Hamilton on Wednesday (1am UK) before the series concludes in Wellington next Saturday and England then turn their full focus to the Ashes series in Australia from November 21.
If England are to wrestle back the urn from Australia, you sense Brook will have to play a major role – and without him against New Zealand on Sunday, it would have been a disaster.
Brook – who scored each of his first 36 runs in boundaries – put on 87 from as many balls with Overton for the seventh wicket after the other senior batters flopped, and then blazed 50 from 28 deliveries while adding 57 off 32 with last man Wood (5).
More to follow…
Brook crunched 11 fours and nine sixes in his rescue mission at Bay Oval