England dominate Black Caps yet again

Harry Brook (left) and Joe Root have rescued England.
Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

Harry Brook’s incredible start in test cricket has continued crunching his fourth century in five matches to drive England to 237 for three at tea on day one of the series finale against New Zealand in Wellington.

Brook was 136 not out from 131 balls, with Joe Root on 72 at the Basin Reserve, the Yorkshire pair having pushed their unbroken stand to 216 runs after coming together at 21 for three in the morning.

New Zealand captain Tim Southee won the toss and elected to field first on a grassy wicket, the gambit paying immediate dividends with three wickets falling in the first hour.

But from there, it was all downhill for the hosts as Brook and Root took over on a sunny afternoon and steered England to 101 for three at lunch.

The batters were untroubled for the best of the part of an hour after the break until Henry sent a ball thudding into Root’s pads when he was on 31.

The former England captain survived an lbw review by inches, with the technology showing the ball hitting leg stump – yet not enough to over-rule the umpire’s not out decision.

That was as close as New Zealand got to a breakthrough, with the aggressive Brook appearing impregnable and Root playing a steady support role to the 24-year-old sensation.

Brook attacked any delivery with a hint of looseness, smashing part-time seamer Daryl Mitchell for two sixes over his head in successive balls to race toward his century.

Root reached his 57th fifty in tests by pushing a single off Bracewell, one ball before Brook cut the part-time spinner to the fence for four to bring up his hundred.

The duo hiked the run-rate after the milestones, with New Zealand quick Neil Wagner bleeding nearly seven runs an over after being badly roughed up in the series-opening defeat at Mount Maunganui.

Though Southee wasted two of New Zealand’s three reviews in the first half-hour, it had been a promising start for the home side.

Matt Henry, back in the team after missing Mount Maunganui for the birth of his first child, had opener Zak Crawley feather an edge to be caught behind for two.

The Black Caps celebrate Michael Bracewell’s catch to dismiss England’s Ben Duckett.
Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

Number three Ollie Pope was out for 10 runs, edging Henry to Bracewell at third slip.

Southee had a driving Ben Duckett out for nine, with Bracewell diving to his left to pull down a spectacular, one-handed catch in the slips.

Unchanged England won the pink-ball opener by 267 runs and are bidding to win their first test series in New Zealand since 2008.

New Zealand dropped rookie quicks Blair Tickner and Scott Kuggeleijn to recall Henry in a three-pronged pace attack, with Will Young included to add more batting firepower.

-Reuters