Harry Brook capitalized on New Zealand’s sloppy fielding to score a brilliant unbeaten 132, helping England recover to 319 for 5 at the end of Day 2 in the first Test in Christchurch. England now trail New Zealand’s first-innings total of 348 by just 29 runs, with the match leaning in their favor.  

Brook’s seventh Test century, and sixth away from home, came in challenging conditions. England stumbled to 45 for 3 under cloudy morning skies, but Brook, with key partnerships, pulled them out of trouble. He added 151 runs with Ollie Pope (77) and an unbroken 97 with skipper Ben Stokes (37*).  

New Zealand had plenty of chances to seize control but dropped six catches throughout the day—four of them off Brook’s bat. He was given lives on 18, 41, 70, and 106. Even Stokes benefited, with Tom Latham spilling him late in the day.  

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi emphasized this position during a press conference, saying, “We’re still clear in our stance that it’s not acceptable that we play cricket in India, and they don’t play cricket here. Whatever will happen, will happen on the basis of equality. We’ve told the ICC very clearly, and what happens next we’ll let you know.”  

Brook’s innings showed his attacking style, as he became the eighth-fastest player in terms of innings to reach 2,000 Test runs. His boundaries and two sixes brought England’s run-rate back to their usual aggressive pace.  

Earlier in the day, England’s top order faltered under overcast conditions. Zak Crawley fell for a 12-ball duck, Ollie Bethell struggled for 10, and Joe Root was dismissed for a duck by debutant Nathan Smith, whose excellent opening spell gave New Zealand hope.  

However, New Zealand’s morning advantage was undone as their fielding errors piled up. Glenn Phillips, who dropped Brook early, redeemed himself with a spectacular catch to remove Pope, but the damage was already done.  

England’s bowlers also shone briefly in the morning session, with Brydon Carse claiming 4 for 64 and Rehan Bashir taking 4 for 69 to limit New Zealand’s total. Glenn Phillips (58*) was the standout for the hosts, but New Zealand’s missed opportunities have left them on the back foot.  

With the pitch expected to improve further, England will aim to take a decisive first-innings lead and tighten their grip on the match in the coming days.