HARRY Brook’s one-man act – a superlative century – didn’t translate to a favourable result as fifties from Daryl Mitchell (78*) and Michael Bracewell (51) powered New Zealand’s 1-0 lead in the ODI series. Before they got going, Zakary Foulkes (4-41) and Jacob Duffy (3-55) set the game up with a solid bowling effort that rattled Engand early before Brook hit back.

Matt Henry got New Zealand going on the first ball of the game, breaching the bat-pad gap of Jamie Smith to clean him up.

Foulkes then dismissed Ben Duckett – opened up from round the stumps to nick him off – and Joe Root – bowled off an inswinger, to push the visitors to 5/3.

That soon became 10/4 and 33/5 as Foulkes and Henry continued their partnership with the new ball to take out Jacob Bethell and Jos Buttler respectively. Sam Curran became Foulkes’s fourth scalp of the game in the 12th over when edged one behind.

Brook, who’d already started to stoke the fires of a counterattack a few overs before, was joined by Jamie Overton in an innings-reviving stand. Brook swiftly established his intentions even amidst all the ruins as he raced to a 36-ball fifty in the 16th over, off a streaky top-edged six. Overton was happy to throw his bat around too as he went after Jacob Duffy. Overton copped a blow to his helmet off a Nathan Smith bouncer but was good to go after a short break. He dragged his stand with Brook past the halfway stage before being foxed by a slower one from Duffy.

He looked to work the ball on the leg side, but a leading edge flew to Daryl Mitchell at cover, sending him back for a vital 46 off 54 deliveries.

Duffy snuffed out Brydon Carse on the next ball, having him caught at backward point for a duck. At 143/8, the end seemed nigh for England, but Brook was not done. He tonked Duffy for a four and a six in the company of Adil Rashid, and then forged a 57-run partnership with No.11 Luke Wood.

That alliance lasted for 32 deliveries, off which Wood had to face just four deliveries. Brook farmed the strike well and went from 85 off 73 at the time of Rashid’s dismissal to finish with 135 off 101.

He smashed three sixes off Duffy in the 32nd over and three more in a Henry over. He smashed another off Smith to take his sixes tally to 11. While attempting a 12th against a tossed-up delivery from Mitchell Santner, he mistimed his slog sweep, bringing an end to the innings on 223.

For the first hour of the chase, that target looked a lot bigger than it was. The comfort of having Kane Williamson and Tom Latham back was rather short-lived for New Zealand. Brydon Carse dismissed Will Young and then gave Williamson a first-ball duck in the second over. Wood then got Rachin Ravindra to nick a ball that moved away from the left-hander. Latham made a brisk start with three fours early on, but Carse trapped him leg before in the 12th over to leave New Zealand in a tricky position at 66 for 4.

They fortified the chase for 15 overs to put it beyond England’s grasp even as they managed to break the partnership in the 27th over. An over after both got to their fifties, Bracewell fell against the run of play, run out while trying to steal a quick single.

In came Mitchell Santner to once again put the game beyond doubt. During this stand between Santner and Mitchell, boundaries came more frequently. Santner hit two sixes off Adil Rashid to take the team past 200. In the same over, Rashid ended Santner’s cameo with a wrong ‘un. He exited for a 25-ball 27. Twelve balls later, Mitchell took New Zealand past the finish line with a four off Rashid. (Cricbuzz)