England Captain Harry Brook led from the front and rescued England from an embarrassment. Harry Brook looked like a man possesses and determined and batted on a different pitch it seemed as his 135 off 101 balls lifted England from 56/6 to 223 all out in 35.2 overs. For New Zealand, Zak Foulkes picked up 4 wickets at the top. Jacob Duffy picked up 3 wickets while Matt Henry picked up a couple of wickets. Mitchell Santner the captain picked up one as well.
224 is a good score and can be chased down if New Zealand applies themselves and bats well. England needs early wickets to make a real match out of this contest.
Zak Foulkes & Matt Henry Rocks England In Powerplay
Put into bat first, Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett came out to bat for England while Matt Henry had ball in hand for New Zealand. Henry gave New Zealand the perfect start by dismissing Smith for a golden duck. He bowled from over the wicket a length delivery swinging into the off and middle stump. Smith was forward to defend and played outside the line without covering for the swing and was beaten on the inside edge. The ball sneaked past the inside edge and went through the gates shattering the stumps. Joe Root came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Zak Foulkes took the new ball from the other end. He removed Duckett for 2 off 4 balls. From around the wicket, he bowled a good length delivery on the middle stump that nipped away after pitching. Duckett was squared up on the back foot and had a poke at it. He got a healthy outside edge that flew to the left of the keeper. Latham flew across in front of the first slip and took a two-handed stunner. Jacob Bethell came out to bat next and got off the mark. Foulkes then got rid of Root for 2 off 6 balls.
Foulkes bowled full and swinging back in a long way from outside off-stump. Root got across and forward to drive and tried to go for an expansive stroke without covering for the swing and the head fell over. He played all around it and got beaten on the inside edge as the ball got through the gates and rattled the stumps. Captain Harry Brook came out to bat next. Henry continued and bowled a maiden over. Foulkes followed that up with another maiden.
Henry continued as Brook charged down the pitch and got on top of the bounce by punching it through covers for a cracking boundary. Foulkes got rid of Bethell next for 2 off 12 balls. Foulkes bowled very full and angled back into the off-stump and moved away late to leave Bethell in no man’s land. He looked to defend with a straight bat but was not covering the swing away from him. The ball shaped away to beat the outside edge and uprooted the off-stump. Jos Buttler came out to bat next.
He got off the mark straightaway as he stepped down the track and Foulkes went short. Buttler pulled it and hit it uppishly past a flying Nathan Smith at square leg for a boundary. Henry continued as Brook completed 1000 ODI runs by hitting a classy boundary down the ground past mid-on for a boundary. Brook was batting on a different wicket as he got onto the front foot and held his shape to played the lofted off-drive to the right of mid-off for a boundary.
Foulkes continued as Brook took him on by pulling it high and handsome over deep forward square leg for the maximum. Brook then hit a boundary of Foulkes as he drove him through the covers for a boundary. Henry then removed Buttler for 4 off 8 balls with a boundary to his name. Henry bowled a good length delivery in the channel outside the off-stump that shaped away yet again with Buttler poking at it without any footwork. He got an outside edge that flew low to the right of the keeper. Latham leaped across and took a one-handed screamer. Sam Curran came out to bat next. He survived a close LBW appeal as the umpire said no with New Zealand reviewing as the Umpire’s call saved the batter.
Foulkes continued as Brook clipped it away through backward square leg for a boundary. He then hit Foulkes by pulling it over midwicket for the maximum. At the end of the mandatory powerplay, England were struggling at 45/5 in 10 overs.
Sam Curran falls but Harry Brook leads the fightback alongside Jamie Overton.
Henry continued after the powerplay as Sam got to the pitch of the ball and played a neat off-drive to the left of mid-off for a boundary as 50 came up for England. Foulkes continued as Brook was on a roll as he used the width and latched onto it by slashing it through the point region for a boundary. Foulkes though managed to get rid of Sam Curran for 6 off 10 balls with a boundary to his name.
Foulkes from around the wicket bowled short of a length delivery in the channel outside the off-stump with good seam position angling in and moving away from the southpaw. Curran was step ahead of the crease and it got big on him as it zipped off the surface. Sam played half heartedly with an open faced bat as he felt for it and got an outside edge to Latham who took it easily. Jamie Overton came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon. Henry continued as Overton drove him down the ground past mid-off for a boundary.
Brook took the attack to Foulkes by flicking it nicely to beat Ravindra from mid-on for a boundary. Drinks was taken with the score at 70/6 in 14 overs. Henry continued after the break as Overton muscled it away in front of square for a boundary past mid-on for a boundary. Nathan Smith came into the attack next. Brook took him on as he looked to pull him and was hurried into the pace. The top edge flew away over third man for the maximum as Brook got to his fifty off 36 balls.
Jacob Duffy came into the attack next. Duffy overstepped but the free hit yielded nothing for England. Overton smashed Duffy by pulling it over deep midwicket for the maximum. The 100 came up for England in 17 overs. Smith continued as Brook stood tall and opened the face of the bat to guide it through the slips for a boundary. 50-run stand came up between the two English batters. Duffy continued and bowled a tight over. Nathan Smith continued as New Zealand wasted a review against Overton for caught behind. Overton was hit on the helmet and recovered soon as England were 111/6 in 20 overs.
Captain Mitchell Santner came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over. Overton then took the attack to Smith by hitting him for consecutive boundaries through cover and mid-off and then clipped it through midwicket for a boundary. Santner continued as Ravindra put down a tough chance off Brook at short fine leg. Smith continued as Overton got an outside edge past the slips and away to the third man fence past the slip.
Santner continued as Overton smashed him through the leg side by playing the pull shot over midwicket for a boundary. At the halfway stage of the innings, England were 140/6 after 25 overs.
Harry Brook’s splendid century lifts England to 223 before they get bowled out in 35.2 overs
Jacob Duffy came back into the attack and he got his first wicket getting rid of Jamie Overton for 46 off 54 balls with 6 fours and a maximum to his name. Duffy bowled a good length delivery outside the off-stump line. Overton rode the bounce and closed the bat face trying to work the ball around in the leg side. He got a leading edge that popped up in the off-side. Mitchell at extra cover moved backwards and jumped to get his hands on the ball. The ball popped out of his hands but he recovered well to go down on his back and managed to complete the catch on the second attempt. Brydon Carse came out to bat next and fell first ball for a golden duck.
Duffy banged it in short outside the off-stump. Carse was on his toes wanting to feel bat on the first ball. He pushed it with a horizontal bat to guide it away from backward point but picked up Kane Williamson at backward point inside the ring. Adil Rashid came out to bat next. Santner continued and bowled a decent over. Duffy’s hat-trick ball was easily negotiated by Harry Brook. Brook then fiercely hit Duffy down the ground for a boundary past mid-on. The 150 came up for England in 27.3 overs. Brook then launched Duffy by hanging back and swinging across the line with a mighty heave to clear midwicket for the maximum. Drinks was called at this point.
Santner continued and bowled a quiet over. Duffy continued and got rid of Rashid for 4 off 12 balls. Duffy bowled a full length delivery on the off-stump line. Rashid on the front foot looked to flick the ball through midwicket but didn’t read the slower variation from Duffy. He played it with hard hands and chipped a straightforward catch to Bracewell at midwicket who dived to his right and comfortably took the catch. Luke Wood came out to bat next.
Santner continued and bowled a quiet over. Duffy continued as Brook too him on by slapping it over extra cover for the maximum. He went again by going over midwicket for the maximum. He got to his magical century with another maximum this time by sweeping over backward square leg for the maximum as the captain got to his 2nd ODI ton in 82 balls. Santner continued and bowled a decent over as well.
Henry returned for another spell as Brook took him on by playing a whip and got it off the top edge over fine leg for the maximum. Brook was not done yet as he slammed Henry again heaved it away over midwicket for the maximum. The 200 came up for England in 33.5 overs. Brook went again as he stood tall and dispatched it high and handsome over midwicket for the maximum.
Nathan Smith returned to the attack as Brook took him on as well by backing away down leg and used the angle of the bowler to lift it over long leg for the maximum. Brook got a brace next while Luke Wood got into the act as he played it late and opened the bat face and cut it sweetly between backward point and deep third man for a boundary.
Santner continued and finished the innings off as a magnificent innings from Harry Brook came to an end as he fell for 135 off 101 balls with 9 fours and 11 sixes to his name. Santner bowled a length delivery pitching on the leg stump line. Brook was down on one knee and swept it once more. He hit it high in the air without control. Deep square leg didn’t have to move an inch and found himself right underneath it and completed the catch. Wood remained unbeaten on 5 off 4 balls with a boundary to his name as England recovered to finish with 223 in 35.2 overs. 17 extras given by New Zealand.
Zak Foulkes was the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand with figures of 4/41 in 7 overs. Jacob Duffy chipped in with 3/55 in 6 overs. Matt Henry picked up 2/53 in 9 overs. Mitchell Santner the captain bowled well for his 1/22 in 7.2 overs. Nathan Smith finished with 0/49 in 6 overs. This means that New Zealand now needs 224 to win the game in 50 overs.
Who’s Winning, New Zealand or England?
England were dead and buried with bat in hand and an outstanding innings from Harry Brook the captain has rescued them and lifted them to 223 which is a respectable score and something to bowl at for the bowlers. England will need early wickets to dent New Zealand. If New Zealand bats well and sensibly, they should get over the line.
An interesting chase awaits us all at the Bay Oval. It’s a bit tough to predict a clear winner.
Also Read: NZ vs ENG: Run Feast On Cards As England Take On Mighty Kiwis