CHRISTCHURCH: Harry Brook scored a brilliant century to drag England right back into the first Test here on Friday, driving the tourists to within 29 runs of New Zealand’s tally of 348 on 319 for five at the end of day two.
The tourists were well and truly on the ropes at 71-4 in the second session but Brook and Ollie Pope put together a battling partnership of 151 for the fifth wicket to cut the deficit in half by tea.
Both benefited from some uncharacteristically sloppy fielding from the Black Caps before Glenn Phillips produced a gully catch for the ages off the bowling of Tim Southee to remove Pope for 77.
Brook, having brought up his half century with one of his two sixes, forged on to pass 2,000 career runs and secured his seventh century in 22 Tests when he sent one of his 10 fours racing to the Hagley Oval boundary.
The 25-year-old reached 132 from 163 deliveries at stumps with his captain Ben Stokes alongside him on 37 not out and English hopes of taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series very much revived.
“Obviously, very pleased to put together a partnership with Harry Brook out there,” said Pope, who was playing down the batting order as emergency wicketkeeper.
“They bowled really well early, some pretty good balls in there … so from where we were to where we’re finishing the day, the boys are really happy with what’s on the scoreboard.
“Should be a good day tomorrow to hopefully push a button in the morning and put them under some pressure.”
It had all looked much bleaker when, with opener Zak Crawley having already fallen for a duck, Jacob Bethell and Joe Root departed cheaply in the last over before lunch at the hands of all-rounder Nathan Smith.
Smith removed fellow Test debutant Bethell for 10 with an outside edge before Root, playing his 150th Test, chopped on for a duck four balls later.
Ben Duckett, the other opener, tried to get the scoring moving but holed out in the deep for 46 trying an ambitious pull shot off Will O’Rourke to leave the tourists floundering.
Smith finished the day with figures of two for 86, having experienced both the joy and the frustrations of the longest form of the game.
The last of a half dozen dropped catches by Black Caps came off Smith’s bowling when skipper Tom Latham put down his counterpart Stokes at short cover a few overs before the close of play.
“I thought we bowled pretty well in periods but yeah, England batted well to get themselves into this position,” said Smith.
“A couple of catches go to hand there, and it’s a completely different story. They got a couple of good partnerships and we just need to break (this one) with the new ball tomorrow.”
Earlier, seamer Brydon Carse took 4-64 and spinner Shoaib Bashir 4-69 for England but an unbeaten 58 from Phillips helped New Zealand extend their overnight tally by 29 runs at the cost of their last two wickets.
