Brook smashes 69-ball century on return to cricket

Having pulled out of England’s tour of India and the IPL, Brook hit consecutive sixes, as well as 14 fours, against Leicester at Headingley

Harry Brook marked his return to competitive cricket after a break for personal reasons by scoring an unbeaten hundred off 69 balls.
The 25-year-old withdrew from England’s tour of India and then the Indian Premier League due to the illness and passing away of his grandmother, to whom he was very close.
Brook’s 12th first-class century, against Leicestershire at Headingley, contained 14 fours and two sixes, and was celebrated with a skywards look after taking off his helmet and raising his bat.
Yorkshire declared the moment he reached his landmark in their attempt to protect their bonus points before the match met its inevitable fate of a draw.
The what-ifs immediately began. What if Brook had played in England’s Test series in India and batted at No 5, instead of keeping his grandmother Pauline company in her last days? He would surely have reached a score of 40, as Jonny Bairstow failed to do.
Brook walked in to bat in the first over of day four, once play had resumed after lunch, and immediately the class oozed like water under the covers on days two and three.
He took guard outside his popping crease to counter any seam movement that the visiting seamers might have obtained. To his first ball of this season he inched forward and covered it completely, steering it out on the leg side in front of square.
One ball was sufficient. Having played himself in, he played a perfect drive, between mid-off and the bowler Matt Salisbury, and dispatched his second ball for four. It made a contrast with the offdrive which George Hill, Brook’s successor from Sedbergh school, had miscued to mid-off earlier in the over.
It was a slow pitch but Brook was anything but. Scott Currie disappeared for two consecutive sixes, Tom Scriven for three consecutive fours. Brook’s partner Adam Lyth could only watch and pick up the runs, more sedately, to reach his 101 off 100 balls.
Brook had also pulled out of the IPL, for the same considerate reason, but he played some of the shots that he had unveiled in his sole century in the IPL in the previous edition. His 50 came up off only 35 balls, albeit Leicestershire’s seam attack was not quite of international standard, although it was augmented by the wrist-spin of England’s Rehan Ahmed.
Brook reached 96 but then had to watch while Yorkshire lost two wickets in one over by Ben Mike, the former Yorkshire all-rounder who has returned to Leicestershire. He was not given one over in the championship last year by Yorkshire.
To reach 98 Brook, all arms and little footwork but great balance, hammered Salisbury through mid-off for two. The next ball was a full toss – such is the pressure that he puts on bowlers – which he thrashed to the cover sweeper, but it was Rehan who stopped it and kept him to a single.
Remarkably Brook played defensively for the next two balls by Salisbury then played and missed a drive at Mike when he hit over a wide full ball. But when he glanced the next ball to fine-leg Brook had still needed only 68 balls to reach three figures.
This innings was made for Yorkshire in Division Two. If, or rather when, Brook can make a Test century at a similar rate, it will be the fastest hundred for England.
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