Harry Brook came heartbreakingly close to executing one of the most remarkable comebacks in world cricket during the opening match of England’s one-day series against New Zealand. Embracing a bold approach at Bay Oval, Brook nearly turned the tide for his team in challenging conditions.

In a match characterized by gusty winds, England found themselves struggling at a precarious 10 for four. However, Brook, taking advantage of the westerly winds, launched a stunning counterattack. He smashed 11 sixes, crafting an extraordinary innings of 135 runs.

Brook’s performance saw him join the ranks of former limited-overs captains Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler, who are the only other English players to hit more sixes in an international innings. Impressively, his knock accounted for 60.53% of England’s total score of 223 before the team was bowled out, setting a new national record.

Reflecting on his innings, Brook remarked, “It obviously wasn’t the best start, but it was a do-or-die situation. I always aim to take the aggressive route and place as much pressure on the opposition as possible.”

Although England did not secure a win, Brook expressed satisfaction with his performance, saying, “It’s disappointing not to win, but I’m pleased with how I played and how I attempted to swing the momentum back in our favor.”

That momentum was firmly with England when wickets inside the opening five overs of the chase, including a first golden duck in one-day internationals for Kane Williamson, left New Zealand 24 for three.

Harry Brook’s extraordinary 135 was not enough to save England from defeat in New Zealand

The England one-day captain struck 11 sixes in what was a record-breaking innings

‘I’m happy with the I way I played and shifted momentum’, the Yorkshireman said post-match

‘I was thinking, bloody hell, if we get two more wickets here now, Mitchell Santner comes out and it’s a completely different game,’ said Brook.

They had chances to claim them too: New Zealand would have been 75 for five had Joe Root not floored a low catch at slip that reprieved Michael Bracewell when he was just two runs into an innings of 51. There were still 93 runs required when Daryl Mitchell, his fifth wicket partner, reverse swept Adil Rashid to point where Luke Wood bodged the chest-high chance.

Brook acknowledged ‘if we take the catches, you never know,’ but insisted the fielding was not a concern in a four-wicket defeat that returned New Zealand to second place in the world rankings and saw England, desperate to keep up above at least one of West Indies and Bangladesh in the standings and thus secure automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup, drop a point.

On the eve of the contest, New Zealand captain Santner estimated this would be a new ball pitch and he put the theory to the test after winning the toss, turning to Matt Henry, who set the tone by searing the first delivery of the match through Jamie Smith’s defence, and then offering Zak Foulkes his first bowl in one-day internationals at the other.

Foulkes swung the ball lavishly on the breeze, producing a series of pearlers to dismiss three more of England’s Ashes squad – Ben Duckett, Root and Jacob Bethell – inside the first half dozen overs. By the 12th, Brook was joined by Jamie Overton, a player who would have recognised familiarity in the situation. England were 55 for six at Headingley three years ago when he struck 97 against the New Zealanders on Test debut to turn things around. Here, they were 56 for six.

Brook’s 50 came off just 36 deliveries, but the real pyrotechnics were saved for after Overton, who struck seven impressive boundaries of his own, became the first of two leading edge victims in quick succession for Jacob Duffy.

A hat-trick of sixes took the Yorkshireman to his 82-ball hundred and four more flew from his blade before Santner’s spin finally snared his opposite number, terminating a new England record stand of 57 for the 10th wicket in the process.

During Brydon Carse’s opening burst of 6-0-28-3, England dared to dream, but ultimately they had been blown too far off course by a batting effort that saw six of the top seven fall for single figures. And even the brilliant Brook could pull them out of the mire.