Harry Brook and Joe Root blaze centuries to sink New Zealand in soggy second Test

England have kissed a good few frogs over the years but on a Wellington pitch that started out green as Kermit himself came the latest evidence that, in Harry Brook, they have found a new middle order prince.

Not that the crown is slipping from the existing one. After recently questioning his role amid England’s aggressive resurgence, Joe Root found the answer that seemed obvious to all on the opening day of this second Test against New Zealand, patiently reaching his 29th century from 182 balls moments before rain brought stumps.

But as Root painted his latest masterpiece at one end, picking off seven fours, pinching ones and twos in wing-heeled fashion, and only bringing out the reverse scoop party trick towards the end, Brook’s remarkable introduction to the highest level continued at the other in a blaze of 24 fours and five jaw-dropping sixes.

The 23-year-old had walked out to the middle early with England a perilous 21 for three, Matt Henry and Tim Southee having got the red Kookaburra ball to zip off a baize surface at the Basin Reserve. By the time he strode off he was 184 not out from 169 balls, this his fourth hundred in his sixth Test match and unquestionably his best.

Together the two Yorkshiremen had put on an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 294 to see the tourists reach 315 for three from 65 overs. This master and apprentice alliance was a record for any English pairing on New Zealand soil, going past the 281 runs shared by Graham Thorpe and Andrew Flintoff at Christchurch in 2002.

Test cricket is supposed to be a daunting arena and yet Brook already has more runs - 807 - than any player in history after nine innings. The right-hander has also done this at a strike-rate of 99.38. As Root put it last week,