Lancashire Lightning v Yorkshire Vikings: Harry Brook aims to bloom in Roses T20 Blast clash

The Yorkshire batsman goes into the game against Lancashire at Old Trafford on the back of a scoring streak that is not so much red-hot as ridiculously prolific.

Brook’s scores in all cricket this season are: 101, 56 not out, 84, 77 not out, 194, 123, 41, 82 not out, 82 and 60 not out – that’s 900 runs in 10 innings at an average of 150.

Small wonder the 23-year-old was named in the squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s next Thursday, albeit amid suggestions that he might have to wait for his chance in the starting XI.

All Brook can do is keep churning ‘em out and see where it takes him, and he said of his England call: “It’s a dream come true and hopefully I get my chance at some point. At the minute I’m full of confidence. Touch wood I’ll keep playing well. I’ve played well so far. I don’t really know what else to say. It’s been good fun.”

Good fun, indeed, and why bother to overthink it or try to explain it? Modestly, Brook added: “The wickets have been a bit better this year, so I think I’ve been able to hit through the line a little bit better. I’m enjoying it so far this season, and long may it continue.”

Where better than in the Roses game, where Yorkshire will be looking to build on their opening night win against Worcestershire at Headingley.

Brook’s unbeaten 60, from 27 balls with three sixes and six fours, along with Joe Root’s 35 from 24 balls with four fours, eased the hosts to a seven-wicket triumph, the pair sharing an unbroken stand of 87 from 44 deliveries.

“Hopefully we can pick up another win,” said Brook. “It’s one of the best T20 fixtures I’ve played in, and they’re really fun to play in as well.

“We always want to beat them, and they always have a good side. It should be good.”

Brook has played in T20 fixtures all around the world, from the Australian Big Bash to the Pakistan Super League.

The Roses would grace any global competition and showcases the best that the Blast has to offer.

“It’s right up there,” said Brook. “We always get a packed crowd when we play them at Headingley, and I’m really looking forward to this game at Old Trafford.

“I think I’ve only played one game there in the past, but the atmosphere is good, and it should be good fun.”

It is a ground that could play into Yorkshire’s hands – or more specifically, into the hands of their spinners.

Yorkshire fielded three frontline spinners against Worcestershire – overseas debutant Shadab Khan, Adil Rashid and Dom Bess, and had part-time options in Root and, if needed, Adam Lyth and Dawid Malan.

It is a key strength of the side in the tournament’s early stages before international call-ups start to bite deep.

Old Trafford is usually a spin-friendly venue and Brook said: “We’ve got two of the best spinners in the world at the minute (Shadab and Rashid), so if we’re playing on a turning wicket, then it probably plays in our favour as well.

“If you’ve got two world-class spinners in your attack bowling through the middle overs, you can’t really ask for much better than that, and Rash and Shadab bowling through the middle are never really going to go for many runs.

“Then we’ve got Haris (Rauf) bowling at the death, who’s well known for being a good death bowler, so I think at the minute we’ve got a really good bowling attack.

“Tommo (Jordan Thompson), too. He had a tough first over (against Worcestershire, which cost 22) and then his last three overs went for 13 runs and included three wickets, so the fightback from him to finish with a three-fer at the end was unbelievable and shows our strength.”

Yorkshire put down the proverbial marker against Worcestershire, although there is, and always will be, room for improvement.

Seventy runs conceded from the powerplay was too many, for example, but, by and large, it was a solid start and it will clearly take time for players to adjust properly to T20 after six weeks of County Championship action.

“We said in the huddle before the start of the (Worcestershire) game that we want to stamp our foot down and show everybody what we’re about,” said Brook.

“I think we did that, and it was a really good start.”

Brook is part of an unchanged 14-man squad for the Roses game.

Like Root, he is also available for Sunday’s match against Leicestershire at Headingley before linking up with the Test squad.

Yorkshire squad versus Lancashire: Bess, Brook, Fraine, Hill, Khan, Kohler-Cadmore, Lyth, Malan, Rashid, Rauf, Revis, Root, Tattersall, Thompson.