England 254-4 (20 overs): Brook 114* (49), Buttler 80 (44)
Sri Lanka 135 (19 overs): Wellalage 33 (21); Baker 3-12
England won by 119 runs
asserted
England → win → runs
Harry Brook hit a brutal century and drew comparisons with Kevin Pietersen as England thrashed Sri Lanka by 119 runs in the first T20 in Southampton.
asserted
England → hit → Southampton
The sensational Brook, after a summer without a Test hundred, crashed the ball to all parts in hitting 114 not out from 49 balls to power his side to 254-4.
asserted
Brook → crash → 4
"I don't even think the genius of KP could come close to what Harry Brook has talent-wise," said Brook's former captain and team-mate Ben Stokes, who was watching on TV.
uncertain
who → think → TV
Brook was six years old when Pietersen - a shock appointment as a mentor through to next year's World Cup - secured England the Ashes on the final day at The Oval in 2005.
asserted
Pietersen → secure → 2005
He was 14, now old enough to understand, when Pietersen was controversially dumped by England after the 2013-14 Ashes defeat.
asserted
Pietersen → understand → defeat
"I used to love watching him bat when I was younger," said Brook, external - then little more than a year into his international career.
asserted
Brook → use → career
"He always looked to take the attack to bowlers and put them under pressure.
asserted
He → look → pressure
How do Brook and Pietersen compare?
asserted
Brook → compare → ?
Pietersen invented the switch hit - a shot Brook rarely plays.
asserted
Brook → invent → hit
Brook's version is that tumbling scoop over his and the wicketkeeper's head, a shot which was absent here.
asserted
which → tumble → head
They are most similar in the way they pick length, allowing them to pull, flat-bat or cut balls from spinners even in good areas.
asserted
them → pick → areas
Brook did so throughout his partnership with Jos Buttler, who also played superbly for his 80 from 44 balls.
asserted
who → do → balls
They put on 128 after debutant Aneurin Donald made 12.
asserted
Donald → put → 12
And while Pietersen was educated in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and Brook under the Cumbrian hills in Sedbergh, they come from the same cricketing school.
asserted
they → educate → school
"That's the way I play," Pietersen said after one aggressive shot too many during a Test in 2009.
asserted
Pietersen → play → 2009
"I got to 97 playing that way so it obviously wasn't meant to be."
asserted
it → get → 97
Those words could easily have come from the mouth of Brook.
uncertain
words → come → Brook
Such words are why Pietersen and Brook have stirred opinion among England fans more than any other batters in the modern era.
"Is it really that hard to just sit back and admire these players for what they are, on the good days and the bad days, and stop berating them for doing things that we would never, ever, ever even think of doing because we simply aren't on their level to think that way?"
asserted
we → stir → level
Stokes added on social media.
asserted
Stokes → add → media
Stokes, who backed Brook to succeed him as Test skipper, has always been a Brook fan.
asserted
who → back → skipper
Picking between Brook and Pietersen may well be pub chat one day, should Brook's career turn out as many hope.
uncertain
many → pick → Brook
For what it is worth, there is little to choose between their records at Brook's age of 27.
asserted
it → be → 27
Pietersen's Test average, which ended at 47.28 after his 104 Tests, stood at 49.55 at this stage.
asserted
which → end → stage
Brook's is 53.08, though Pietersen had two more centuries.
asserted
Pietersen → have → centuries
Pietersen has the edge in one-day international cricket - an average of 47.87 and six centuries to Brook's 37.43 and three - but the Yorkshireman's second T20 century, hit on the south coast, is two more than Pietersen ever managed.
asserted
Pietersen → have → coast
Perhaps where Brook lags behind is those iconic moments.
asserted
moments → lag → ?
While Brook's Test best 317 on a road in Pakistan is a mark few can match, Pietersen's 158 at The Oval won England the 2005 Ashes in his fifth Test - the first of his four Ashes series wins.
asserted
158 → match → wins
Eighteen months later he made the same score against Australia in Adelaide against Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.
asserted
he → make → Warne
Brook's best Ashes score remains 85.
asserted
score → remain → ?
He is yet to win the urn.
asserted
He → win → urn
Still, Brook's latest T20 display showed the company he could one day keep.
uncertain
he → show → company
A more mature batting style in whites this summer has also been noted.
asserted
style → note → whites
Since being promoted to number three in England's T20 side at the World Cup earlier this year, Brook averages 95.20 at a strike-rate of 200.84.
asserted
Brook → promote → 200.84
He has scored 288 runs in the format since he was last dismissed.
asserted
he → score → format
"Harry Brook has today cemented himself as maybe the best all-format batter in the world," said former England bowler Steven Finn.
asserted
Finn → cement → world
"Brook is lacking a Test century in the last year or so but he still averages 42 in that time.
asserted
he → lack → time
"When you see the versatility of what he did today and the tempo he has played, he's a mighty special player."
asserted
he → see → what
Brook also has one clear advantage in any debate for the maverick position in a fantasy England XI.
asserted
Brook → have → XI
Overlooked for the Test captaincy, Brook has won 18 of his past 20 T20s as England captain.
asserted
Brook → overlook → captain
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
