First one-day international, Mount Maunganui England 223 (35.2 overs): Brook 135 (101), Overton 46 (54); Foulkes 4-41 New Zealand 224-6 (36.4 overs): Mitchell 78* (91), Bracewell 51 (51); Carse 3-45 New Zealand won by four wickets; lead series 1-0

England were beaten by four wickets by New Zealand in the first one-day international, despite Harry Brook's outrageous century threatening to rescue his side after a horrid top-order batting collapse.

The tourists lost Jamie Smith to the first ball of the match, were 5-3 at the end of the second over with Joe Root bowled for two and 33-5 in the ninth. Their hopes, along with any idea of Root and co easing into form before the Ashes, appeared in tatters but captain Brook counter-attacked against superb New Zealand bowling in favourable, seaming conditions, hitting an audacious 135 from 101 balls to drag his side to 223 in Mount Maunganui.

No other batter in England's top seven made double figures but Brook struck 11 sixes - seven of which came as he dominated a 10th-wicket stand of 57 with last man Luke Wood.

Although England were all out in 35.2 overs, Brook had given his side a chance and when Brydon Carse took three wickets in a fine new-ball spell the Black Caps were in real danger at 66-4.

Crucially, though, England dropped Michael Bracewell on two and Daryl Mitchell on 33. Bracewell went on to make 51 and Mitchell 78 not out as the hosts won with 13.2 overs to spare.

England can level the series in the second match in Hamilton on Wednesday (01:00 GMT) but this match will be best remembered for:

• Brook's continuing his form with an all-time great knock
• A difficult start to the winter for England's other Test batters - with some extenuating circumstances
• Carse showing why he could be crucial for England in Australia

It is no secret England are using this tour, including the stop-start rain-affected T20s that preceded these ODIs, to build towards the Ashes. While others are yet to find form, the question for Brook, who scored 78 in the second T20 last week, is whether he can maintain his through the switch in conditions and formats. Batting was perilously difficult when he came in. Brook was hit on the body three times as he failed to score from his first six deliveries. He advanced to his seventh to drive Matt Henry through the covers and it showed him the way. The 26-year-old reached 50 in 36 deliveries before settling into a stand of 87 with Jamie Overton. When Overton fell to a leading edge for 46, Carse and Adil Rashid quickly followed and Brook cut loose while farming the strike to protect Wood.

He hit three consecutive sixes off Jacob Duffy to reach his hundred and struck another three in one over from Henry - targeting the leg side and dispatching anything short by either flicking it over fine leg or cracking it over mid-wicket.

The low-key nature of this series and the fact it came in a disappointing defeat should not prevent this knock from being rated among the best for England in ODIs. He scored 60.5% of England's runs - putting him 12th on the all-time list for that statistic in ODIs. It was also Brook's highest score in the format.

While Brook has had two weeks in New Zealand, Root, Smith and fellow opener Ben Duckett were in the middle for the first time in more than six weeks. The two remaining matches in this series, plus the one warm-up in Australia, will be their only further opportunities to find form before the first Test on 21 November. Four runs combined for three players so crucial to England's hopes is clearly not ideal but significant credit must be given to New Zealand's new-ball bowlers.

Henry began the match with a delivery that jagged back significantly to bowl Smith through the gate and barely relented with his accuracy throughout his opening spell of eight overs. Returning figures of 4-41 in his second ODI, Zak Foulkes was highly impressive and found 0.96 degrees of seam movement plus 1.99 degrees of swing in the first 10 overs - a significant jump from the recent average of 0.89 and 1.41 respectively at this ground.

Duckett nicked a Foulkes ball from round the wicket that angled in before moving away and Root was bowled by a hooping inswinger, albeit one not full enough for his booming drive. Perhaps the 23-year-old's best delivery was saved for Jacob Bethell. The left-hander looked to play another from Foulkes straight down the pitch but was bowled when the ball swung away late to beat his outside edge. It left Bethell helpless as he tried to apply more pressure to Ollie Pope's position as Test number three.

Brook said afterwards he felt England's score was defendable. Had his side held their catches he may well have been right. Both misses were regulation. The hosts were 75-4 when Root put down Bracewell low at slip off Jamie Overton. The Black Caps still needed another 93 when Luke Wood dropped the ball when a reverse sweep from Mitchell looped to him at backward point. That allowed the Kiwi pair to combine for a measured partnership of 92 and steer New Zealand clear of the early danger caused by Carse.

The 30-year-old seamer found bite from a hard length near the top of the stumps to nick off Kane Williamson first ball but quick, full deliveries also burst through the defences of opener Will Young and former captain Tom Latham, who had eased to 24 before being pinned lbw. They were all deliveries that should transfer to pitches in Australia.