Kane strikes gold twice to decorate his century

If at first you do not succeed, try again.

- David Hytner

It has been a guiding principle for Harry Kane. Here, the England captain had numerous nearly-butnot-quite moments and, were it not him, it would have been possible to think it was going to be one of those nights.

This is Kane. And the red-letter occasion when he celebrated his 100th England cap was only going to end one way - with him making it happen, getting through on the strength of his talent and remorselessness.

There were 57 minutes on the Wembley clock when Kane lashed high into the Finland net from just inside the area after a lovely first-time pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold. It was Alexander-Arnold's night, too; the weight and incision of his passing was sumptuous.

Kane did the rest. A touch with the outside of his right boot to cut inside Robert Ivanov; the hammer brought down. The cameras cut to Kane's family in the stands and it would do so again before he was withdrawn.

Again, Alexander-Arnold was the architect, playing a beautiful return ball to the debutant, Noni Madueke, who had come on as a substitute. Madueke pulled back; Kane banged first time into the far corner. The captain had said on Monday that he wanted 100 England goals, which sounded like wishful thinking. It is never wise to question his targets. At the age of 31, he has 68.