Harry Brook breathed a sigh of relief after his maiden century in One-Day International (ODI) cricket paved the way for his first victory as England captain. Following heavy defeats against world champions Australia at Trent Bridge and Headingley, England desperately needed a win at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday to keep the five-match series alive.
Brook’s arrival at the crease came at a crucial time. England were struggling at 11-2, with both openers dismissed by Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc. However, the 25-year-old Yorkshireman responded with a magnificent unbeaten 110, showcasing his exceptional talent and temperament. He received invaluable support from Will Jacks, who contributed 84 runs, forming a match-winning partnership of 156.
By the time rain intervened, halting England’s chase of a 305-run target, they had already done enough to secure a 46-run victory via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. This was yet another testament to Brook’s abilities, particularly considering he was leading England in this series, deputizing for the injured Jos Buttler, and playing in just his 18th ODI.
Brook’s century was a welcome return to form for the young captain. “I’m relieved, for sure,” he told reporters after the match. “It’s nice to get that first hundred on the board and hopefully there’s plenty more to come.” He confessed to feeling a bit inconsistent over the summer. “I’ve had a lot of starts — 30s and 40s — and then not managed to convert, which is frustrating.” He added: “To do that today, I feel like I’m back in a good place. Obviously it’s nice to score runs against Australia, but scoring runs is amazing, no matter who it is against.”
Brook had been the subject of some criticism following England’s defeat in the series opener in Nottingham. He had attempted to explain some loose dismissals by saying, “If you get caught somewhere on the boundary or in the field then who cares?” However, he was adamant he had been misunderstood. “I think people took that a little bit the wrong way,” he clarified. “You’ve got to go out and play fearlessly and almost have that ‘who cares?’ attitude but that’s not a ‘who cares if we lose?’ attitude. We all want to win, but you don’t want to go out and have that fear of getting out.” He went on to reference England’s red-ball captain Ben Stokes and his fearless approach, saying: “You’ve seen it so many times in the Test environment, at the start Stokesy (England red-ball captain Ben Stokes) was getting out caught at mid-on which is unheard of before, so you’ve got to go out with that fearless attitude and try to take it to the bowlers.”
Australia’s coach, Andrew McDonald, lamented the absence of key spinner Adam Zampa, who was ruled out due to illness, a significant factor in England’s victory. Despite the loss, McDonald recognized Brook’s talent. “Full credit to Harry. He’s an impressive player and he’s going to have a long career for England. He’s going to give us some headaches over the journey. The way he played, the way he led today…sometimes you’ve got to take your hat off to the opposition. This is one of those moments.”
Brook’s century not only rescued England from a precarious situation but also ended Australia’s impressive streak of 14 consecutive ODI wins. With the series now back in contention, the focus shifts to the remaining matches. It remains to be seen if Brook can continue his fine form and lead England to a series victory.
