Harry Brook ended England’s one-day winter as he began it, plundering a breathtaking hundred – marking it with a defiant drinking-related celebration following his recent rebuke for alcohol-related misconduct.
Brook, 26, took off his gloves on reaching three figures at the Premadasa Stadium and appeared to imitate American wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin’s ring entrance of slamming two imaginary beer cans together and drinking from them.
Earlier this month, he said he’d learnt lessons about responsibility and professionalism after keeping his job as England’s limited-overs captain, but receiving a maximum fine of £30,000 for a late-night altercation with a Wellington bouncer last Halloween.
A tendency to draw attention to himself off the field also led him to undiplomatically condemn Saturday’s pitch upon which England ended a run of 11 consecutive one-day defeats overseas as ‘probably the worst’ he had ever played on.
But a couple of strips along, on the same surface that had opened the three-match series, the big hitting brilliance of a backs-to-the-wall 135 against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui in October was reproduced and this time, courtesy of the gumption of his team-mates, it came in a winning cause, sealing a 2-1 success, the first for England overseas in eight years in this format.
Brook’s late innings rampage in Colombo saw him register the sixth fastest hundred by an England batsman in one-day internationals, off just 57 balls, finishing unbeaten on 136 off 66.
Harry Brook performed a drinking celebration after his latest England hundred, having been fined for alcohol-related misconduct
Brook, who anchored his England side to victory, appeared to imitate former WWE wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin (pictured)
Building on the foundation laid by Joe Root, fellow Yorkshireman and fellow centurion, and Jacob Bethell, the 26-year-old propelled England to 357 for three, their highest score against Sri Lanka, and a 53-run win.
Root expressed hope that Brook’s celebration will be received in the ‘right way’, using humour as he attempts to restore trust within the group.
‘I think that’s his way of doing that really,’ Root said. ‘He’s trying to show he wants that approval from the group, through humour.
‘That’s another area of why he’s going to be a great leader, because he has that side to him as well.
‘He’s showed his calmness and his clarity under pressure, and he’s also showed humour as well in doing that.
‘Hopefully it’s received in the right way because there’s definitely no malice behind it, or anything other than trying to have a bit of a joke with his team-mates.’
Brook’s ability to eviscerate bowlers is unquestionable but in contrast to the Ashes when he struggled to pick his moments, his timing here was immaculate.
Back in October, a frustratingly familiar batting collapse to 56 for six dictated that his counter-attack simply delayed defeat, but this was an almost faultless pacing of an innings in what was the most wholesome white-ball display from an England team during 12 months under Brendon McCullum.
Both Brook and Joe Root (right) scored centuries as England turned around the series to claim victory
When Brook walked to the crease, Root already had 65 runs of his 20th ODI hundred, yet he screamed past his partner to finish unbeaten on 136 off 66 deliveries,
Reprising that ability to hit the same deliveries from Sri Lanka’s raft of spinners either over extra cover or midwicket at will, he struck nine sixes.
But there was much to admire in the legwork that preceded it, particularly from a team that failed to go beyond 40.1 overs during the 3-0 whitewash by the New Zealanders three months ago.
England crawled to 77 for two after 20 overs, finding the rope on only six occasions, but with endurance vital in Sri Lankan conditions, profited from playing the long game.
With others wilting – leg-spinners Wanindu Hasarangha and Jeffrey Vandersay both received treatment for cramp during bowling spells, and umpire Rod Tucker was forced off due to the extreme heat – England incrementally developed the tempo to a crescendo.
Root was the common factor in the first occurrence of England posting century stands for third and fourth wickets in a limited-overs match, striking 110 not out came at better than a run a ball.
Bethell, fresh from an Ashes hundred and a sports marketing dream at the age of 22, drew attention to his bat during a stunning 30th over of the innings in which he toyed with Asitha Fernando, bringing up a 64-ball half century with the first of four fours threaded through the gaps with a combination of power and precision placement.
The sticker on the back bears the name of Pragnell, an upmarket jewellers, but it is the GM on the front that is of most interest with batmakers scrambling for his signature on a six-figure deal following his heroics in Australia. His current deal expires at the end of March.
Surprisingly, Sri Lanka – spiritual home of pinch-hitting thanks to the exploits of Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana in the 1990s – reached three figures inside the first 10 overs of a one-day international for the first time at the start of a chase taken deep without truly threatening an upset by Pavan Rathnayake’s maiden international hundred.
