It’s no secret England are utilizing this tour, together with the stop-start rain-affected T20s that preceded these ODIs, to construct in the direction of the Ashes.
Whereas others are but to search out kind, the query for Brook, who scored 78 within the second T20 final week, is whether or not he can preserve his by the change in circumstances and codecs. On the proof to date, the reply is a convincing sure.
Batting was perilously troublesome when he got here in.
Brook was hit on the physique thrice as he failed to attain from his first six deliveries. He superior to his seventh to drive Matt Henry by the covers and it confirmed him the way in which.
The 26-year-old reached 50 in 36 deliveries earlier than settling right into a stand of 87 with Jamie Overton. When Overton fell to a forefront for 46, Carse and Adil Rashid rapidly adopted and Brook reduce free whereas farming the strike to guard Wooden.
He hit three consecutive sixes off Jacob Duffy to achieve his hundred and struck one other three in a single over from Henry – concentrating on the leg aspect and dispatching something brief by both flicking it over high quality leg or cracking it over mid-wicket.
The low-key nature of this sequence and the very fact it got here in a disappointing defeat shouldn’t forestall this knock from being rated among the many greatest for England in ODIs.
He scored 60.5% of England’s runs – placing him twelfth on the all-time listing for that statistic in ODIs. It was additionally Brook’s highest rating within the format.
