Phil Salt happy to sacrifice century chance and let Harry Brook take charge

Phil Salt was happy to play second fiddle to Harry Brook in England’s 65-run win over New Zealand in the second T20, even if it meant reducing his chances of a significant milestone.

Brook was at his destructive best in Christchurch, thumping five sixes, three of which sailed out of the Hagley Oval, and six fours in his 78 off 35 balls, putting on 129 with Salt, who was no slouch himself.

Salt thrashed 85 off 56 balls to underpin England’s 236 for four, but he felt Brook was a level up in the power-hitting stakes and was glad to get his partner on strike once the Yorkshireman got going.

Doing so might have diminished his hopes of a fifth T20 hundred – equalling the world record held jointly by India’s Rohit Sharma and Australia’s Glenn Maxwell – but Salt had no regrets.

“The difference between me going on and getting that score and not was getting Brooky on strike and 100 times over, I’d like to be at the other end watching that again,” said Salt. “That was brilliant.

“That’s part of being a team. You have to take ego out of it. As soon as you start making it about yourself, that’s when you’re going to be in trouble and when you’re going to put the team in trouble.

“Everything is the team first and team oriented. That suits me down to the ground. When Brooky or someone comes out and plays like that, my job is very easy – pick up the odd boundary and get them on strike.

“He’s got an all-round game that means there’s not many fields you can set to him, especially not when he plays like that.

“It was good for me to be at the other end of getting him on strike for that five to six overs in the middle and just watch him.”

This was Salt’s third 50-plus score in his last six T20 innings, having made 141 not out against South Africa in England’s record 304 for two at Emirates Old Trafford and 89 against Ireland at Malahide.

After Brook departed, Salt was within three blows of another hundred but perished two balls after the England captain, caught on the boundary as he looked for just his second six to go with 11 fours.

“I’m enjoying playing, that’s the big thing for me at the moment,” said Salt. “I’ve just got to keep enjoying it because that’s when I get the best out of myself.

“I’m not not going to try to force (getting a fifth T20 hundred). As long as I keep putting myself in those positions. That will come as and when. I’m certainly not going to chase it too hard and chase it away.”

New Zealand gave a life to Brook on 39 when Jimmy Neesham spilled a routine chance running round on the boundary, with Jacob Bethell earlier benefiting from a reprieve on seven in his 12-ball cameo of 24.

England compiled the biggest ever T20 total at the Hagley Oval and their fifth highest of all-time and the Black Caps were all out for 171 in 18 overs, with the ever-dependable Adil Rashid claiming four for 32.

“When guys are going like (Brook and Salt) you need to take chances while you can,” said New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, whose side will look to square the three-match series at Auckland on Thursday.