Brook ‘relieved’ as maiden ODI hundred sets up first win as England captain
Harry Brook expressed his relief after scoring his first one-day international century, which helped England secure their first win with him as captain. After heavy losses to Australia in previous matches at Trent Bridge and Headingley, England needed a victory at Chester-le-Street to stay in the five-match series.
England struggled early, losing two wickets for just 11 runs after Mitchell Starc took out both openers. However, Brook, the 25-year-old Yorkshire player, stepped up with an unbeaten 110 runs. He was supported by Will Jacks, who added 84, and together they built a crucial partnership of 156 runs. Rain interrupted the match, but by that time, England was well ahead and won by 46 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
This was Brook’s first time leading England, filling in for injured captain Jos Buttler. It was only his 18th one-day international appearance, but he was happy to be back in form.
“I’m definitely relieved,” Brook told reporters. “It’s great to get my first hundred, and I hope there will be many more. I feel like I’ve been inconsistent this summer, getting starts but not converting them into big scores, so this feels like a step in the right direction. Scoring against Australia is always nice, but honestly, runs are runs no matter the opponent.”
Brook also addressed criticism from earlier in the series after comments he made following a loss in Nottingham. Some had misinterpreted his words about dismissals, where he said, “If you get caught on the boundary, who cares?” Brook clarified: “People misunderstood me. You need to play without fear, but that doesn’t mean we don’t care about winning. We all want to win. It’s about playing with freedom and not being scared of getting out.”
Australia’s coach Andrew McDonald, meanwhile, regretted that key spinner Adam Zampa had to miss the game due to illness. He acknowledged Brook’s performance, saying: “Credit to Harry, he’s a special talent and will have a long career. He gave us trouble today, and sometimes you just have to respect a great performance.”
