Over-by-over report: Join our writers for day two’s action after the tourists opened up strongly in Wellington
The pitch, seen from above, is still a pea-souper.
At the wheel is Harry Brook, who just can’t stop making big scores at high speed. Yesterday we flagged up the record for most runs by any batsman in his first nine Test innings, just as Brook entered the top five. By the time the day came to a soggy end, he was No 1. He has hammered 807 runs in those nine innings – the first man ever to reach 800 so fast, eclipsing Vinod Kambli of India on 798 – and he’s still in, threatening to add a few more.
There are 732 batsmen who have made 750 runs in Tests, and Brook has the highest strike rate of them all. His 807 runs have come off 812 balls, so his strike rate is 99.38. The next best is 86.97. That 99 is a classy touch, making Brook the Bradman of the bish-bosh era. His actual Test average is even higher, at 100.87, but we mustn’t get too excited about that as it’s inflated by a not-out in this innings. When he finally gets out, his average will plummet – to a minimum of 89.67.
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