Harry Brook’s astonishing lone salvo with the bat spared England’s blushes but New Zealand drew first blood in the three-match ODI series with a four-wicket win in Mount Maunganui.
Brook walked to the crease with England reeling on five for three and they slipped further into the mire on 33 for five, with their lowest ODI total of 86 against Australia in 2001 some way off.
The Yorkshireman ensured they avoided that ignominy with 11 sixes and nine fours in a jaw-dropping 135 off 101 balls, accounting for 60.54 per cent of his side’s 223 all out – a record for England in ODIs.
New Zealand stumbled to 66 for four in reply, with Kane Williamson dismissed for a first-ever golden duck in ODIs, but England’s fielding let them down as they put down three catches, including off Daryl Mitchell, whose 78 not out helped the Kiwis get over the line with 13.2 overs to spare.
England fell to a ninth loss in 13 ODIs in 2025 but what was a competitive contest appeared remote after they started dreadfully, with only Brook and Jamie Overton reaching double figures.
While Brook’s innings augurs well with less than four weeks until the start of the Ashes, his Test team-mates Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell were all undone in bowler-friendly conditions.
Matt Henry snaked the first ball through Smith’s defences, while Zak Foulkes struck twice in the next over, squaring up Duckett, who edged low to Tom Latham, before Root threw his head back in despair after missing a drive and being bowled.
Foulkes produced another jaffa to castle Bethell and Jos Buttler and Sam Curran both nicked off as an England side that piled up 414 for five against South Africa last month lurched to 56 for six.
Brook, though, was utterly unflustered at the other end, using his feet to negate the seam movement, while he took advantage of a strong gust blowing across the Bay Oval to lustily pull Foulkes for a couple of sixes.
A third six from a leading edge took Brook to an eighth fifty-plus score in 12 innings in New Zealand and he finally found a capable foil as Overton contributed 46 to a run-a-ball 87 partnership.
Brook was given a life on 63 after sweeping to Rachin Ravindra, who got both hands to the ball but was unable to cling on, and he cashed in once Jacob Duffy had accounted for Overton, Carse and Adil Rashid to catches in the ring.
With only Luke Wood for support, Brook reached an 82-ball hundred with the last of three successive sixes off Duffy and he continued on his merry way before holing out off opposite number Mitch Santner.
New Zealand found batting at the start just as tough as England had, with Carse bowling Will Young and then finding a hint of movement away from his next delivery to take the edge of the vaunted Williamson.
Carse then removed Tom Latham lbw but lone slip Root put down a low chance when Bracewell was on two and Wood dropped a routine waist-high opportunity when Mitchell reverse swept on 33, and both batters made sure the errors did not go unpunished as they got to valuable fifties.
Bracewell did not go on, run out for 51 after Overton’s direct hit from mid-on, but Carse could not get to Santner’s pull in the deep and he crashed a couple of sixes before being caught at long-off aiming for a third six in four balls.
New Zealand still needed 18 but Mitchell made sure there was no nervy finale to get the hosts home.