Stand-in England captain Harry Brook has made history by becoming the youngest English captain to score a century in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), surpassing Alastair Cook’s long-standing record. Brook’s remarkable century powered England to a 46-run victory over Australia via the DLS method in the third ODI of Australia’s tour of the UK, ending Australia’s 14-match winning streak in the format.
The five-match series serves as a critical preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and Brook’s leadership in this game was pivotal. Australia batted first, posting a competitive 304 runs in their 50 overs, with Alex Carey scoring 77 off 65 balls and Steven Smith adding 60 runs off 82 deliveries.
England had a shaky start, losing both opening batters early, but Harry Brook and Will Jacks took control, building a solid partnership before rain interrupted the match. At the rain break, England were 254-4 in 37.4 overs. Brook led from the front, scoring 110 runs off 94 balls, including 13 boundaries and two sixes, at a strike rate of 117.02.
‘It’s nice to get the first one (maiden century)’ – Harry Brook
After the match, Brook reflected on his innings and the team’s win: “We started off really nice with the ball, and with the bat, me and Jacks tried to stay out there as long as possible and build that partnership. It’s nice to get the first one (talking about his maiden ODI hundred) off the board and hopefully many more to come.”
Australian captain Pat Cummins acknowledged England’s strong partnership but remained confident: “Though we did extremely well to get to 300… They obviously got a good partnership going and fair play to them, we will try to win the series in London.”
Brook’s century at the age of 25 years and 215 days shattered Cook’s record, marking a milestone for the young captain.
