England rip into New Zealand XI in warm up game with Harry Brook falling for 97

He has moved effortlessly from white ball to red with considerable success in his nascent international career and Harry Brook made an instant impact facing a pink one as Brendon McCullum showed off ‘Bazball’ in all its glory on his return home to New Zealand.

The new all-format star of English batting was again outstanding as England rattled along to 465 all out in just 69.2 overs against an inexperienced New Zealand XI to warm up for next week’s first day-night Test with what has become their trademark flourish.

Brook smashed 97 off 71 balls with nine sixes, five of them coming off successive balls in an extraordinary assault on the leg-spin of 20-year-old Adithya Ashok, in the latest display of the rare talent that looks certain to soon make him England’s next great batter.

What an introduction to the highest level the Yorkshireman has made since making his England debut in place of the injured Jonny Bairstow in the final Test against South Africa last summer.

First he earned a place in England’s World Cup winning Twenty20 side in Australia with his performances before the tournament in Pakistan. Then he returned to Pakistan to make a remarkable three centuries in three Tests before making his one-day international debut in South Africa, reaching 80 in the second match of the series in Bloemfontein.

Harry Brook, pictured here hitting one of his nine sixes, was dismissed just short of a century

The England batsman typified his side’s attacking intent with the run-rate at over seven

Brendan McCullum beamed from the sideline as England teed off in an aggressive manner

Now Brook will head to Mount Maunganui next week for the first of two Tests against New Zealand brimming with confidence and with a £1.3million IPL deal with Sunrisers Hyderabad in his back pocket ready for the next leg of his remarkable journey.

Indian audiences would certainly love to see a repeat of the over in which Brook took 30 runs from Ashok despite offering the most orthodox of defensive strokes to its first ball. 

After that it was carnage, the second delivery flying out of Seddon Park and into Tristan Road and four more sixes flying with brutal power as Brook ran wild in sleepy Hamilton.

He was not the only one. England had actually made a fairly quiet opening, at least by their recent standards, and it was not until Joe Root reverse ramped Sean Davey for six that they markedly increased the rate, 71 runs coming in nine overs before the first break.

Root was to depart for 77 after a stand of 115 in just 16 overs with Brook, who was to finally fall caught at third man trying to reach three figures by upper-cutting his 10th six.

There was to be no respite for the young home side as Dan Lawrence, getting his chance because captain Ben Stokes preferred a lengthy net session to playing in this two-day match, smashed 85 off 55 balls with three sixes of his own. In all England hit no fewer than 17 sixes on another amazing day of ball striking.

This latest demonstration of England’s all-action style was watched by New Zealand captain Tim Southee, who spent much of the day talking with his former Black Caps team-mate McCullum and even at one stage sat among the England coaches on the boundary. Clearly there is little chance of any hostility between these sides next week.

‘That was great fun,’ smiled Brook afterwards, sporting his new extreme ‘buzzcut’ hairstyle. ‘I kind of went about it a bit like my ODI batting to be honest. I felt under a little bit of pressure to score in my own head and my movements weren’t as good as I wanted but I was certainly striking the ball well.’

Dan Lawrence also played well and compiled 85 runs before he lost his wicket

Kyle Jamieson picked up five wickets for the New Zealand XI in their warm up game

Brook believes he has expanded his game whatever colour ball he is facing since earning his chance because of Bairstow’s freak accident on a Yorkshire golf course. ‘I think I’ve got a little bit stronger so I feel I’m hitting the ball harder,’ he said.

‘Whether that’s just because I’ve been given the freedom to go out and play in a positive way and take the match on I don’t know. It just feels like I’m hitting the ball a lot harder than I was before. Last year was probably the best of my life but I do think there are little things I can get better at.’ New Zealand – and the cricketing world – be warned.

Such is England’s approach to practice under the Stokes-McCullum regime that they eschewed the chance of a bowl when Stuart Broad became their last wicket with more than 20 overs of the first day remaining.

They will be happy to have a bowl on Thursday and then probably head back to the golf course before moving on to Mount Maunganui for the first Test. They are relaxed and ready for their next instalment of their remarkable transformation – as Brook showed with relish.