Brook really has got off to an extraordinary start to his test career. His 807 runs is the most that anyone has scored in test cricket after 9 innings (and the 9th inning is still going). His batting average is over 100 and his strike rate is 99! I thought he was going to flourish under Stokes and McCullum but those stats are just ridiculous.
Brook is the best player I've seen come through county cricket since Stokes. Both of them were clearly destined for great things. Lots of very, very good players have come through county cricket - some of whom have duly cracked it at international level like Root, some of whom haven't like Vince. But Brook and Stokes stood out more than any other for me. Ridiculous level of talent. Only one more test match level after this before the Ashes (home to Ireland). If Bairstow is fit to return by then, then it clearly won't be Brook missing out like he did last summer. So I guess it comes down to whether they want Bairstow to keep, or to open. Potentially an important rest of this match for Crawley and Foakes.
It's probably a crazy thought -- and he almost definitely wouldn't want to do it -- but the England regular most-suited to open at this point would be Root.
England declare on 435-8, Root on 155 no. Bearing in mind they have only had 87 overs that is quite incredible batting.
NZ. V. ENG. COP day 2 second test . Rain stopped play and it stayed stopped . NZ - 138-7 Trail by 297 runs with 3 Wickets remaining . Anderson & Leach 3 Wickets each . Broad 1 Wicket .
I see Harry Brook got the wicket of Williamson! We've got another star allrounder in the making! #EnglishKallis
But sorry Leach, 1 off 30 odd balls in that situation really isn't good enough. He had opportunities to score and didn't take them.
That defeat was in no way Leach’s fault. More than anyone I blame Joe Root, he ran Brook out completely recklessly before he’d even faced a ball, and tried to get to his century with a six that was never there. Madness.
I'm not saying it was. It was a combination of factors - didn't bowl well enough in the 2nd innings, Brook's run out, and many other factors. But I saw the last few overs and Leach went into his shell when Foakes got out when he should have done the opposite. NZ brought in the field to prevent the singles obviously so a well aimed top edge would have gone for 4. Instead he left it to number 11 Anderson to try and score the runs. Leach being defensive while Foakes was in was correct - Foakes is by far the better batsman. But when he got out with 7 needed to win he should have taken on the responsibility to get the runs. He had spent 10 overs at the crease by that stage so had his eye in and Jimmy hadn't. I'm not blaming the defeat on Leach as that would be unfair but I thought he was too negative - not how England want to play or are playing. Southee and Wagner were bowling a lot of short stuff so he could have set himself for that and gone for the hook. With fielders saving the single unless he was unlucky even a mishit would likely have landed safe. I think the situation got the better of him.
