Harry Brook: From Burley to number one in the world

Harry Brook is breaking batting records and earning plaudits at the dizzying speed at which he plays.

As 2024 heads towards a close, he is the number one-ranked batter in the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings, nudging Joe Root off top spot.

It was an astute compliment from Root who called Brook “far and away the best player in the world” just days before the rankings were reversed.

📸 Photo: John Heald – johnhealdphotography.co.uk

Harry Brook Test career

It’s easy to forget that the 25-year-old Keighley-born batter is just two years into his Test cricket career such is the dominance and sheer volume of runs being scored.

The landmarks and records have come in a flurry for Brook, not least that first Test of the three-match series in Pakistan in October where England scored 823-7 declared.

Harry Brook’s 317 was England’s first triple hundred since 1990 but Harry mentioned that the motivation was actually beating his dad’s top score of 210 not out for Burley-in-Wharfedale Cricket Club vs Woodhouse.

Harry Brook Stats

Before the third Test in New Zealand that concludes England’s Test cricket commitments for the year, Brook had 2,280 runs at an average of 61.62, with eight hundreds.

Like the ICC rankings, his average and form will go up and down – but Brook’s class, allied with the way he’s smiles his way through the carnage he unleashes is infectious.

It’s not always gone to plan – Brook, like England, was undone by Pakistan’s spin duo of Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, but his back-to-back hundreds as England scorched to a 2-0 lead in the Test series in New Zealand in December has left many speechless.

The audacity, range of strokeplay and speed of scoring – allied with plenty of luck along the way it ought to be said – heaped pressure on New Zealand on their home turf, after the Black Caps returned from India with a mighty impressive 3-0 win.

The hype around Harry Brook is understandable. In an era where England have redefined scoring rates in Test matches, he is their poster boy.

Here on Cricket Yorkshire, we are just as excited as everyone else about Harry Brook. I interviewed him the year he broke into Yorkshire’s first team. Being asked to do a selfie with the rest of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club squad seemed like a sign of things to come.

There’s a lot of chat about players who might go on to play for England. Consensus was that Joe Root and now Harry Brook were both the real deal from a young age – and so it has proved.

Dave Cooper, Director of Cricket at Burley-in-Wharfedale Cricket Club has watched Harry’s development over years.

“It’s been written that he was going to be a top player. I’ve got a picture of him in the under eight team with Sam Fox (Yorkshire 2nd XI) and Matthew and Dan Revis (Yorkshire Under 15s). A crop of golden talent that appeared at the club as under nines.”

To surf around Google is to note with amusement some of the things people Google about him. Allow me to answer a few…

Harry Brook Highest Score

317 – for now – I imagine teams will not rush to prepare dusty roads as with the pitch in Multan where he batted for seven hours and 310 deliveries for the second-fastest triple century ever.

Harry Brook family

Harry’s family have been a part of life at Burley-in-Wharfedale CC for many years including, according to Bill Marshall in the T&A, his grandparents Pauline and Tony, his dad David, mum Lucy and uncles Richard and Nick.

I noticed that Richard hit 611 runs in the Aire-Wharfe Cricket League in 2024 while Nicholas wasn’t far behind with 574 at an average of 57. I have my own connection to the village as my family and close friends have lived there – but I don’t think I’ve ever watched a game.

Something to rectify in 2025…

Harry Brook in club cricket

If you’re wondering about Harry Brook’s own club cricket journey, allow me to elaborate a bit…

He played for his home club Burley-in-Wharfedale in junior and senior cricket, as well as a few games in 2019 for Bradford & Bingley.

Can you spot him in the pic above?

As is the usual route of many, Harry progressed up the Yorkshire county age-groups while at Sedbergh School, turned out for Yorkshire Academy and then onto Yorkshire’s first-team.

If Play-Cricket is right, Brook scored 4,126 runs before turning professional. He’s rattled off a few since.

President Harry Brook

Amid the many honours (he was awarded the Freedom of Bradford in 2023), one that you might not know about is that Harry is now a President.

It seems only fitting.

At the Aire-Wharfe Cricket League annual meeting at Otley RUFC in November 2024, it was confirmed that Brook was confirmed as President.

A nice touch by the League as a nod to Harry’s family association with the League and his own breathtaking achievements.

What’s next for Harry Brook?

In Test cricket, England have a break after a congested blizzard of matches where they have played more matches than any other nation.

Tougher challenges – for Brook and England – await in 2025 with a five-Test series at home to India then the Ashes in Australia.

Before that, you can add in an IPL 2025 spell for Delhi Capitals, more commitments for England in other formats and perhaps a match or two for Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

If his workload is managed carefully and Harry Brook stays injury-free then the sky really is the limit.