Harry Brook targeting dad's high score after producing "best innings yet"

GEORGE DOBELL IN WELLINGTON: Brook is unbeaten on 184 off 169 balls but is determined to stay "as level-headed as possible" and "enjoy these moments" given bad knocks could be "just around the corner"

Harry Brook is determined to keep his feet on the ground despite scoring what he believes is the best century of his Test career to date.

Brook, who celebrated his 24th birthday a couple of days ago, registered the fourth century of his short Test career on the first day in Wellington. It meant that he has scored more runs in his first nine Test innings than any man in history.

More significantly, it put England on top despite a tough start. Put in on a green pitch, they were three down after little more than half-an-hour and Brook had to work hard to take back the initiative.

For that reason, he rated it his best century to date.

"Yes, that's definitely the best innings yet," he said. "The position of the game makes that decision. We lost three early wickets which wasn't ideal but I came out and tried to counter-punch and be as positive as I could be and thankfully it came off.

^{Harry Brook celebrates his century with Joe Root [Phil Walter/Getty Images]}

"The centuries in Pakistan were amazing and good fun, but they were all very flat pitches. Today wasn't a flat pitch. It's a good cricket wicket, but not a flat pitch where you can smack it everywhere. I've done that a little bit, but it's a pretty good pitch.

"It always gets easier when the ball gets a bit older. The longer you bat it gets easier too. The hardest part about batting is the first 20 balls. If you get through that it gradually starts to get easier. The ball got a bit older and it probably didn't seem to do as much. There was still a little bit there and a little bit of bounce."

While Brook was delighted to score another century, he laughed off news that his average had risen above 100.

"These are good times at the minute," he said. "But one of the things I've tried to work on over the last few years is staying as level-headed as possible. Just around the corner there might be bad times so you've got to enjoy these moments and cash in as much as I can.  

"I'm sure that average will come down very quickly. Like I've said, I'm just trying to enjoy the moment and live in what's happening at the minute. It's been a good few months."

While Brook will resume on 184 on day two, he insists he has given no thought to overhauling his coach, Brendon McCullum's record for the highest Test score made on the ground: 302 made against India in 2014.

"No, I hadn't thought about that at all," he said. "My dad's [David] highest score is 210 [for Burley, in club cricket] and my highest score is 194 so that's in the back of my mind at the minute. But I need to face the first ball tomorrow, which is the main thing."

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