ENG vs WI: Harry Brook ahead of Shahid Afridi, Virender Sehwag in elite Test list

| 2025-01-15 23:15:07

England batter made 109 in second innings of the Trent Bridge Test

Harry Brook raises bat after scoring fifth Test century. - AFP

England's young batting prodigy Harry Brook registered his fifth Test century on Day 4 of the second Test against the West Indies in Nottingham.

This was the 25-year-old's first Test at home and it was particularly notable as it came after a string of five half-centuries and a highest score of 85, showcasing his ability to convert starts into substantial knocks.

Brook was initially cautious but found his rhythm with a boundary against Alzarri Joseph. His innings became more fluent as he effectively rotated the strike with Joe Root and played a crucial role in stabilising England’s innings.

Brook’s performance on Day 4 demonstrated his maturity and composure. After ending Day 3 at 71* (78), he resumed with confidence, scoring a boundary off the first over of the day bowled by Jayden Seales. Brook eventually reached the milestone in just 118 balls with a single off Joseph in the 62nd over. His performance was a crucial factor in England’s strong position in the match.

Seales ended Brook’s innings, with the batter being caught behind by wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva for a brilliant 109.

Brook has played 23 innings where he has scored 1376 runs at an average of 62.54 and a strike rate of 90.70.

The 25-year-old has the highest strike rate for any batter with 1000+ Test runs. The second man behind him is former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi who batted with a strike rate of 86.97.