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Department of statgasm
Only two English batsmen have ever scored more runs in a three-Test series than Harry Brook. Graham Gooch made a world record 752 against India in 1990, and Len Hutton made 480 against the West Indies in 1939. (We must also mention Wally Hammond, who hit 563 in a two-Test series against New Zealand in 1932-33). Still, Brook is in the best possible company.
“Greetings from (relatively) mild Nice,” says Robert Wilson. “Given that English cricket has no shortage of batsmen doing a bit of early career derring-do in India and Pakistan before reality sets in and ruins all our childhood dreams, how well do you think is it really Brook? I mean good grief, this is getting ridiculous. I’m actually a little scared. I want to believe, I really want to give my heart back.
“Will I end up watching the raindrops drip down my windows, tearfully thinking of entropy? Tell me, you know I trust you for everything.”
He will be a white ball superstar. Close your red ball heart until it has broken Australia.
61st over: England 254-5 (Brook 108, Foakes 42) A change of bowling at last. Agha Salman, who is halfway between a full-time and a part-time spinner, comes into the attack at tea. Do not worry.
This is the end of a very good session for England – 114 runs, one wicket – and especially for the phenomenal Harry Brook, who compartmentalized his part in the dismissal of Ben Stokes to make another majestic century.
Babar Azam allowed the game to drift, bowling Abrar and Nauman to no great effect and no great purpose. A wicket would change everything, we know that from watching Pakistan for the last forever, but for now England are in control.
60th over: England 249-5 (Brook 105, Foakes 40) Brook tries to reverse sweep a low full toss from Nauman and under edges the ball between the legs for three. An eagle-eyed Mike Atherton sees that the ball would have hit the stumps but for a slight deflection off Brook’s back calf.
Another century for Harry Brook!
59th over: England 245-5 (Brook 102, Foakes 39) Brook brings up another wonderful century with a superb stroke. He slides back into the crease to drive Abrar through extra cover on the back foot and away for four. His celebration is rather low-key, another day, another Test century, but he gets a standing ovation from the England balcony.
This is pretty spectacular. Before this tour, Brook had played a Test, and now he has cheerfully scored a century in every match of the series. This one came from 133 balls, with eight fours and three sixes.
Updated at 09.35 GMT
58th over: England 239-5 (Brook 97, Foakes 38) Rizwan calls for a leg-side catch which Foakes delivers to Nauman. Joel Wilson raises his arms, but only to signal a wide. There was nothing on UltraEdge.
“Harry Brook huh?” says Phil Harrison. “I have decided that it is the culmination of the last two decades of English red and white ball batting. It’s Root x Pietersen x Buttler. Some player.”
No pressure. I would like to see him against world class fast bowlers before we officially anoint him. But he seems to have it, whatever it is, in industrial quantities.
57th over: England 235-5 (Brook 96, Foakes 36) Brook hits Abrar at extra cover for two, making him England’s top run-scorer in a series in Pakistan. His performance has been remarkable and not particularly surprising.
56th over: England 229-5 (Brook 91, Foakes 35) Brook charges Nauman and cuts a chip in half for a couple. It wasn’t where he intended, but he cleared the infielder quite comfortably, and the two runs take him into the nineties. he Is. A lot. well
Foakes has an escape later on Nauman, padding the bats through the hollow point area.
55th over: England 226-5 (Brook 88, Foakes 35) Foakes almost delivers a return catch to Abrar, with a hard attacking edge just short. a maiden
54th over: England 226-5 (Brook 88, Foakes 35) Nauman moves over the wicket to Brook, who bowls a reverse sweep first ball. Doesn’t connect properly and slips it under Rizwan for a single, the first of four off the over.
53rd over: England 222-5 (Brook 86, Foakes 33) Stokes’ dismissal doesn’t seem to have affected Brook one whit. This generation is different isn’t it, less concerned about perception or appearance and more concerned with hitting the next ball for four?
Abrar beats Foakes with a good one that spins quite hard. The pitch hasn’t deteriorated yet, but the odd ball is misbehaving.
52nd over: England 219-5 (Brook 83, Foakes 33) Another superb delivery from Foakes, who skips down the track to move Nauman between midwicket and mid-on for four. Foakes has batted quietly, of course he has, with Ben Stokes: 273 runs at an average of 46.
“Morning Rob, from a sale finally unfrozen,” says Guy Hornsby. “This Test cricket is exciting and brilliant. I’m not going to praise the batsmen because… Well, you know how that goes. But this team is showing that it’s not always fifth gear. This partnership is so crucial, because we could be 25 plus or 100 more when the next port drops. So thinly in the balance. Anyway, we all know the best Christmas song is Jona Lewie.”
No no no no no no no no no no no no.
51st over: England 214-5 (Brook 82, Foakes 29) Brook slides Abrar straight back over his head for a majestic six. Later he hits a ball offside, “almost a hockey shot,” says David Gower, and Faheem Ashraf does well to save two runs at long off.
50th over: England 205-5 (Brook 73, Foakes 29) Brook cuts Nauman on the sweeper for a single. He is 28 runs out of quite a remarkable achievement – a century in every Test in his first overseas series. Saying that, Pakistan has become his second home.
Nauman produces a beauty to Foakes later on, but the outside edge falls well short of slip. This plot is made of dirt and gravel.
49th over: England 202-5 (Brook 71, Foakes 28) Foakes nails Abrar el midwife for four to bring up his fifty. After a slow start, he’s playing fluently – 1 off first 18 balls, 27 off next 32. Even Bazball is in gear, now and then.
Updated at 08.57 GMT
48th over: England 194-5 (Brook 70, Foakes 21)
47th over: England 192-5 (Brook 68, Foakes 21) Foakes gets into the twenties with a classy boundary, a wrist clip through midwicket from Abrar. This is a serviceable partnership – 47 from 14.1 overs at the admittedly miserable strike rate of 3.3 overs.
46th over: England 188-5 (Brook 68, Foakes 17) Thanks Taha, morning everyone. Nauman continues to Brook, who charges the first ball but can’t beat Babar to cover. He and Foakes take one alone later.
45th over: England 186-5 (Brook 67, Foakes 16) That’s drinks and enough from me. Rob Smyth will take you to the stumps.
44th over: England 186-5 (Foakes 16, Brook 67) Nauman spins and Brook shows his impressive forward defence.
43rd over: England 183-5 (Foakes 14, Brook 66) Brook again hits Abrar on the back foot for four – he’s very good on this particular shot.
42nd over: England 177-5 (Brook 61, Foakes 13) Brooks and Foakes touch it as Nauman comes back into the attack.
Simon McMahon sends a message to: “If it’s a song you’re after, how about the best Christmas song ever, Freiheit’s Keeping the Dream Alive? It’s only a week away, and the lyrics seem strangely appropriate for the cricket of today’s test: “the hopes we had were very high, very far, but we must try, no need to hide, no need to run, because all the answers come one by one, the game will never end , because we are keeping the dream alive”.
I can’t say I’m familiar with this tune, but it’s coming out of my speakers as I type.
41st over: England 171-5 (Foakes 9, Brook 59) Wasim keeps running, looking for that tail yorker to rattle the stumps or trigger an lbw. Brook dives for a ducker and hits the most sublime straight drive for four. A full toss follows and Brook goes through covers for another boundary.
40th over: England 163-5 (Brook 51, Foakes 9)
He is nowhere near the bat and the ball is expected to miss the stumps lbw as well. Carry on.
Foakes takes another boundary, this time off Abrar. But then the finger goes up! It’s to short leg, and Foakes has gone up to the flat for a review…
39th over: England 158-5 (Brook 50, Foakes 5) Foakes finally gets a wide from Wasim, and obliges with a touch to the third man boundary for four.
Fifty for Harry Brook!
38th over: England 154-5 (Foakes 1, Brook 50) Brook pulls quickly again to get four off Abrar. And then a moment of worry for the batsman, with a top edge sweep that sends the ball high… but the man at deep backward square leg can’t get there in time. And that too is a half-century in what has been a sublime series for England’s new batting star.
37th over: England 148-5 (Brook 44, Foakes 1) Wasim has also tightened things up at his end.
36th over: England 147-5 (Brook 43, Foakes 1) Having missed out on selection for the second Test, Foakes has to learn about the different tricks of Opening in this one. He’s understandably attentive, splashing as Brook grabs one.
35th over: England 146-5 (Brook 42, Foakes 1) Wasim starts to find his line, getting the ball to the end and testing Foakes’ defence.
34th over: England 146-5 (Foakes 1, Brook 42) Oh, this match is getting pretty exciting now.
33rd over: England 145-5 (Foakes 0, Brook 42) Foakes is out at mid on for his first innings of the series. And he has work to do.
WICKET! Stokes finished with Azhar/Wasim 26 (England 145-5)
alas my days Brook removes Wasim for what looks to be a comfortable couple of runs. Except Stokes wants…