England thrash New Zealand as Harry Brook sends World Cup message to selectors

2nd T20: England 198-4 beat New Zealand 103 all out (Bairstow 86, Brook 67 | Atkinson 4-20) by 95 runs

OLD TRAFFORD — Harry Brook ended the argument about whether he deserves a place in England’s Cricket World Cup squad with a sublime performance during the second Twenty20 against New Zealand in Manchester.

It is not often a Yorkshireman gets a standing ovation at the home of Lancashire, but that is exactly what happened when Brook’s incendiary innings that set up a comprehensive 95-run England win came to an end.

The scorecard will read that the 24-year-old, who was left out of England’s provisional 15-man squad for next month’s 50-over World Cup in India, made 67 from 36 balls.

Yet this was so much more than that – showcasing not only his power but also his poise and deftness of touch. This was a highlights reel in one innings. It was that good.

And he could not have chosen a better time to produce it either, with this match showcased live to a prime-time, free-to-air audience on BBC Two.

Now, it is up to the selectors, led by coach Matthew Mott, director of cricket Rob Key and captain Jos Buttler, to go back on their original decision to exclude Brook and find a way to fit him in. Not to do so would be boneheaded and tone deaf.

They have until 28 September, the deadline for finalised World Cup squad submissions, to come up with an answer. It now feels inevitable they will U-turn.

So good was Brook’s performance he even outshone fellow Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow, who at one point looked on course for a century that would have seen him become only the third Englishman after Buttler and Dawid Malan to have international hundreds in all three formats.

Instead, Bairstow had to settle for 86 from 60 deliveries after stalling late in the innings.

It was still a positive sign for a player whose role to set the tone at the top of the order will be crucial to England’s World Cup chances in India.

More good news came in the form of debutant Gus Atkinson. The 25-year-old fast bowler took a wicket with his fourth ball in international cricket when he had Devon Conway caught on the boundary in the second over of New Zealand’s chase of 199.

It probably was not a coincidence Atkinson’s second ball hit 92 miles per hour. The Surrey bowler ended up taking four for 20 – the best debut figures for England in a T20 – to wrap up the match in the 14th over of New Zealand’s chase. Three of those wickets came in that final over.

In all, England’s bowlers ruthlessly dispatched their opponents to take a 2-0 lead in the series with two games to go.

It may only be 20-over cricket but building momentum ahead of the 50-over World Cup cannot be underestimated.

Brook’s momentum, though, took on a life of its own as he laid waste to the Black Caps’ attack.

He had already struck a 41-ball century in the Hundred last week before hitting 43 from 27 deliveries during the first match of this series at Durham last Wednesday.

Yet this was a different statement from that cameo, Brook playing himself in after coming to the crease with his team 43 for two in the seventh over. It took eight balls for him to hit the first of his four sixes.

But the passage of play that best summed up his innings came in the 16th over when he deftly cut an 89mph ball from Lockie Ferguson down to third man for four. Two balls later he blitzed Ferguson through the covers for another four.

The next over he clubbed Tim Southee straight down the ground for a six that brought up his half-century.

Case closed.