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Harry Brook enters legendary list: Highest scores for England vs New Zealand in ODIs

Soumyajit Dutta

Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes [Source: @bhupesh_mangalore/X.com]Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes [Source: @bhupesh_mangalore/X.com]

When England found themselves in a crater at 56/6 on October 26 in front of the Black Caps, from the ashes emerged Harry Brook, playing an innings of breathtaking power that single-handedly resurrected his team. Brook's resilience certainly stands as one of the greatest acts of salvation and is one of England's greatest individual performances against the Black Caps.

Brook's blistering knock has surely etched its name into the exclusive English batter's club. Let's take a look at the batters and the monumental scores that make up the highest individual totals for England against New Zealand in ODI cricket.

5) Harry Brook - 135 runs

Starting off the list is Harry Brook's sensational counter-attacking knock to rescue England from a disastrous position. In the ODI against New Zealand at Bay Oval on October 26, Brook was an unrecognisable force. Coming in with his team struggling at 56/6, the England skipper launched a stunning fightback, smashing 135 off just 101 balls, his career-best ODI score.

Brook struck 11 sixes and 9 fours, displaying fearless stroke play despite wickets tumbling around him. He built a crucial 87-run partnership with Jamie Overton for the seventh wicket and later added a record 57 runs for the last wicket with Luke Wood to take England to a respectable 223.

4) Jonny Bairstow - 138 runs

On March 7, 2018, at Dunedin, Jonny Bairstow produced a blistering knock for England in the fourth ODI against New Zealand. Opening the innings, he attacked from the start and dominated the Kiwi bowlers, reaching his half-century in just 38 balls. He found his partner in Joe Root, with whom he notched up a partnership of 190 runs.

Bairstow went on to score a magnificent 138 off 106 balls, laced with 14 fours and 7 sixes, powering England to a strong total of 335/9. His aggressive approach set the tone for England’s innings and put New Zealand under immense pressure despite their eventual five-wicket win.

3) Bill Athey - 142 runs

Bill Athey, a legendary English player, produced a masterclass in composure and control during England’s chase against New Zealand at Old Trafford in 1986. Opening England's innings, he anchored the run pursuit with a brilliant unbeaten 142 off 172 balls, hitting 14 fours and maintaining a strike rate of 82.55. 

Athey's calm approach allowed Graham Gooch to play freely at the other end, and together they stitched a commanding 193-run opening partnership that set the tone for England’s victory. Even as wickets fell around him later in the innings, Athey held firm, guiding England to 286/4 in 53.4 overs to successfully chase 285.

2) David Gower - 158 runs

David Gower’s sublime 158 off just 118 balls in Brisbane remains one of his finest one-day innings, a masterclass in timing, placement, and patience. Coming in after England’s cautious start back in 1983 in Brisbane, Gower unleashed his full range of strokes, caressing 18 boundaries and four sixes with effortless grace. His innings lifted England to a commanding 267/6 in 50 overs, setting a total that proved too steep for New Zealand.

In reply, the Kiwis managed only 213, with Ian Botham and Vic Marks sharing three wickets each as England sealed a 54-run win. Gower’s knock wasn’t just match-winning, it was a reminder of his genius, the kind of artistry that made him both England’s most gifted and most unpredictable batter of the 1980s.

1) Ben Stokes - 182 runs

On September 13, 2023, at The Oval in London, Ben Stokes produced one of the greatest ODI innings by an English batter, smashing a record-breaking 182 off just 124 balls against New Zealand. Walking in with England reeling at 13 for 2, Stokes turned the game around with a stunning 199-run stand alongside Dawid Malan. 

His innings, featuring 15 fours and nine sixes, helped England post 368 before bowling out New Zealand for 187 to win by 181 runs. Stokes’ knock not only sealed the match but also placed him at the top of the list for most runs scored by an England batter against New Zealand in ODIs.