New Zealand v England: Brilliant Harry Brook Bazballs his latest century to put England on top in the Wellington Test

The staggering part was not so much the shot; no one who has seen Brook play could be in any doubt he had the talent to do it.

Rather, it was the situation of the match - the score was 50-4 after England had stumbled in the formative stages, sent into bat with the ball doing plenty.

If Brook’s 123 out of 280 on a frenetic first day was his “favourite hundred so far”, New Zealand ending proceedings at 86-5, then that might have been the favourite shot for many observers.

On commentary, David Gower, the former England captain, who knows a thing or two about shots through the cover region (albeit mostly along the ground), was stunned.

“Now that’s unbelievable, that is absolutely extraordinary,” purred Gower as the ball sailed out of the ground and into the road.

“In amongst everything we’ve seen this morning, a little shimmy to the onside, and he has smacked it over extra cover for six.”

What we had seen this morning - albeit only those lucky to be present, or to have TNT Sports - was a wildly frenetic, Bazball-ish start.

Zak Crawley, battling a poor run of form, attempted to thrash his way into it before being bowled through the gate, his defence all at sea.

Beneath dreamy blue skies, as spectators watched on grass banks in glorious sunshine, Crawley had hit the sixth ball of the match off Tim Southee for six over long-off, thereby - and perhaps surprisingly - becoming the first man to strike a six off a seamer in the first over of a Test.

Only one other man had achieved the feat off any sort of bowling; rather less surprisingly, that was Chris Gayle, who bludgeoned two sixes off the Bangladesh off-spinner Sohag Gazi in the first over of the Dhaka Test of 2012.

New Zealand’s catching, so costly in Christchurch, was much better as Tom Latham - who spilled three at Hagley Oval - caught Ben Duckett low down at second slip before Daryl Mitchell pulled off a blinder at first, flying to his right to take an edge by Joe Root.

When Jacob Bethell was strangled in the cricketing sense as opposed to anything more sinister, England were 43-4 and Brook and Ollie Pope had a job on their hands.

As at Christchurch, where their first innings stand of 151 lifted their team from 71-4, the fifth wicket pair combined superbly, sharing 174 to change a perilous picture.

Pope, who played his part at Hagley Oval with 77 to go with Brook’s 171, made 66 this time before getting underneath an attempted pull, his game so much better suited to No 6.

Brook, however, is not a man sated by 60s or 70s. His preferred currency is three-figure scores and that he would cash in again seemed more or less inevitable, his milestone reached from 91 deliveries, his second-fastest Test century.

There were four more sixes to go with 11 fours before, after Ben Stokes edged to second slip, Brook was run out on the stroke of tea.

He dropped Smith into the leg-side, set off for a run and was well-beaten as he tried to recapture his ground, the bowler pouncing in his follow-through.

From 259-6 before Brook went, England subsided after the break. Gus Atkinson was held in the gully, Chris Woakes was caught behind on review and Brydon Carse caught in the fine-leg area.

Matt Henry (two wickets) and Will O’Rourke (three) were the pick of the Kiwis’ attack, with Smith (four wickets) going at more than seven runs an over but sticking to his task in the face of Brook’s barrage.

When New Zealand replied, Brook (who else?) had a hand in the first wicket - or rather two hands as he snaffled Devon Conway at second slip.

Latham chopped on to Stokes with an angled bat and then Rachin Ravindra was superbly caught by Carse at full stretch as he dived forward at mid-wicket.

Carse tipped the day firmly in England’s favour by having Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell caught behind; he had earlier bowled Williamson off a no-ball.

Blundell and nightwatchman O’Rourke survived until stumps but after winning the toss, New Zealand were unable to capitalise as England finished in a strong position to go 2-0 up in the three-match series.

For that, they would have largely one man to thank - Brook, who increasingly makes the unbelievable seem plausible, the extraordinary look commonplace.

Some of his stroke-making would make Kevin Pietersen emerald with envy, such as that outrageous early six over cover off Smith.

Earlier this week, Brook climbed to second in the International Cricket Council Test batting rankings on the back of his Christchurch century, closing in on fellow Yorkshireman Root.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

With Williamson, an honorary Yorkshireman of course at No 3 on the list, it would seem that a strong Yorkshire is a strong England/New Zealand (adapt as applicable).