In the form of his life, the young England middle-order batter continued to impress with the bat against New Zealand XI in the warm-up game.
England’s rising young player Harry Brook continued on his rich vein of form in red-ball cricket in his team’s warm-up encounter versus New Zealand XI prior to the two-match Test series on Kiwi shores.
The talented right-hander dominated through England’s historic 3-0 Test series triumph in Pakistan late last year and has now started off the New Zealand trip on a very happy note, blazing his willow in the tour’s only warm-up encounter.
On Day 1 of the two-day fixture versus New Zealand XI, Harry Brook hit five consecutive sixes in an over against Kiwis’ Indian-origin spinner Adithya Ashok, who simply had no safe response to the batter’s onslaught.
It was Brook at his very best as he pulverised the opposition off-spinner for five maximums after an initial dot ball in the over. The batter took his tally by the end of six deliveries from Ashok to 86* off just 62 balls, helping England continue on their ultra-attacking ways under coach Brendon McCullum.
The string of sixes arrived in the over No.36 of England’s first-innings effort on Day 1 of the game. Facing the loopy off-spin of Ashok, Harry Brook decided to unleash the beast inside him and hammer the spinner away for one maximum after the other.
Harry Brook indulging in another dalliance with madness: he’s just smashed Adithya Ashok for 5 sixes in an over. Moves to 86 off 62
England 247/4 off 36 overs #NZvEng pic.twitter.com/iu8KVww5VX
— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E) February 8, 2023
Unfortunately, there was no footage available for the first four sixes. But the fifth that rounded off the astonishing 30-run over was there for fans to soak in as Brook is seen advancing down the ground, making Ashok’s attempt of a full-pitcher into a full-toss, and smashing the ball over long-on.
— Yoloapp (@Yoloapp2) February 8, 2023
Harry Brook looks determined to add to his Test match gains on the trip to New Zealand where the first Test, a D/N pink-ball encounter, starts on February 16 in Mount Maunganui. The second Test will be played at the Basin Reserve in Wellington from February 24.
During England’s remarkable 3-0 whitewash in Pakistan, Brook emerged as their biggest positive, scoring 468 runs with three centuries in just five innings.
