England captain Ben Stokes believes teammate Harry Brook is already ready to interchange him as the largest six-hitter in Test cricket, a report he has solely owned for 48 hours.
Stokes’ mission to usurp head coach Brendon McCullum on the high of the checklist have been an amusing sub-plot because the pair have been introduced collectively by director of cricket Rob Key final 12 months.
The all-rounder equalled McCullum’s excessive watermark of 107 in Pakistan earlier than Christmas and went clear on the summit on day three of England’s 267-run win in Mount Maunganui, launching Kiwi seamer Scott Kuggeleijn over positive leg.
The second introduced a spherical of applause and a broad smile from the person he shunted into second place and Stokes celebrated by hitting one other off the very subsequent ball.
How far he goes is anybody’s guess, however he thinks he’s sharing a dressing room with the person who will overtake him.
Yorkshireman Brook has loved a revelatory begin to his worldwide profession, profitable participant of he match in every of the final three video games and racking up three centuries in his first eight innings.
He has additionally cleared the ropes 15 occasions already, averaging three sixes per Test.
“I was blowing that one over the ropes because I didn’t think it was going to go,” Stokes stated of his 108th most.
“When it went, it was like I picked Brendon up off my shoulder and dropped him. He said ‘well done’ to me and I just said ‘Brooky will probably break it in the next 20 games the way he is going’. I can’t see it being around too long if Harry Brook is in the side, which I imagine he will be for a long time going forward.”
And the 23-year-old, who averages a staggering 77.87 at a strike-rate of 96.88, is unlikely to again away from the problem.
A brutally clear ball-striker, he has been empowered by the present regime to swing exhausting and is presently reaping the rewards of that optimistic outlook.
“I’ve said a few times now, the amount of freedom we have going out to bat is phenomenal,” he stated.
“I’ve never felt like that before. I feel like I can go out and do whatever I want. Even if there’s still people on the boundary, I’m still allowed to try to clear them. The amount of freedom is remarkable.
“It’s been fun. I’ve played five games now and enjoyed every single one of them. Obviously I haven’t had a loss yet, which makes it all the better. We’re playing in such a positive style, taking the bowlers on and looking to score. I think you get away with more when you’re batting. You get away with the nicks or little inside edges because you are being positive.”
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