• Home
  • Match Hub
  • Harry Brooks Heroic Ton In Vain As Nz Take The Cake With Mitchell Bracewell Bashing

Harry Brook's heroic ton in vain as NZ take the cake with Mitchell-Bracewell bashing

Soumyajit Dutta

Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell [Source: @BLACKCAPS/X.com]Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell [Source: @BLACKCAPS/X.com]

It was an absolute bloodbath from Harry Brook in the first ODI between England and New Zealand at Bay Oval. The first ODI saw a historic revival by Harry Brook after England's nervy collapse in the beginning. Yet, Brook's heroics couldn't save England from defeat as New Zealand cruised past the score despite some early scares. Here's a look at how the match panned out at Mount Maunganui.

Harry Brook flips Zak Foulkes' script

The match started with an absolute nightmare for England. Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett, who came down to open for their team, saw Smith go for a duck on the first ball. Ben Duckett, otherwise a flamboyant player, also left the crease in the second over. By the end of the 5th over, England was 4 wickets down for just 10 runs, with Zak Foulkes dismantling all of England's top-order firepower. 

Josh Butler, who came in after Harry Brook, was also sent back for a mere 4 runs. It was only Harry Brook who showed grit and resilience at the crease, scoring a fighting 135 off just 101 balls to salvage England's pride from posting a futile and low total against New Zealand.

Even when Harry Brook was holding steady at number 5, his partners were trembling and fading away, as he only found a solid stand with Jamie Overton for 87 runs and Luke Wood for 57 runs. Jamie was the only one who scored a notable 46 besides Harry Brook, which helped England put up a total of 223 on the board. However, New Zealand had other plans.

England could not defend as Mitchell stands tall

Despite an early scare and an almost hat-trick chance from Brydon Carse after dismissing Will Young and Kane Williamson, New Zealand survived the struggle. Even after struggling at 66-4 in 11.2 overs, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, and Mitchell Santner coupled up to put together the winning runs for New Zealand in the series opener. 

Mitchell scored 78 runs, while Michael Bracewell also scored a gritty 51-run knock. Though Carse tried to deal some damage with his three-wicket haul from his 10 overs, England bowlers' efforts were in vain as the Black Caps registered their home soil victory with almost 15 overs to spare and by four wickets.