"Stops people going to the toilet" - Sir Geoffrey Boycott in awe of Harry Brook after his 171 in NZ vs ENG 2024 1st Test
Former England opening batter Sir Geoffrey Boycott heaped praise on Harry Brook for his innings of 171 in the opening Test against New Zealand in Christchurch. Boycott opined that Brook comes off as the batter who can put viewers on a standstill.
The Yorkshire batter reached the three-figure mark in Christchurch off only 123 deliveries and got to his seventh ton with a boundary off Tim Southee. The youngster's 171 was the nucleus in England's first-innings total of 499.
Writing in his column for The Telegraph, here's what the 84-year-old stated:
"When Harry Brook decides to tee off, everybody watches. He has charm and charisma that empties bars and stops people going to the toilet. Harry Brook can succeed against the two best teams in world cricket, India and Australia, as long as he picks his moments and does not let ego get the better of common sense."
Boycott also urged the need for the 25-year-old to give respect to world-class bowlers especially with the new ball, explaining:
"If high-quality fast bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins have a new ball, then give them respect and play sensibly. With runs behind his name and when the ball is a bit older, if Harry goes into overdrive there is more chance of him winning the duel."
Aside from Brook, Ben Stokes, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson starred with the bat. Carse took six wickets in New Zealand's innings as England followed it up by chasing down 104 with eight wickets to spare.
"Not an aesthetic innings or one he will particularly remember" - Sir Geoffrey Boycott on Ben Stokes' 80
Reflecting on Stokes' knock of 80, the veteran praised the visiting captain's character, stating:
"Ben Stokes scored important runs. It was not an aesthetic innings or one he will particularly remember, because he didn’t play with his best timing. He tried and succeeded in upsetting the bowlers by running down the pitch, attempting slogs, mistiming them but somehow kept getting runs. It takes a lot of character and guts to make runs when you are not playing well."
England and New Zealand will resume their battle in the second Test in Wellington, starting on December 6.