Second LV = Insurance Test, Trent Bridge (day 2) New Zealand 553: Mitchell 190, Blundell 106England 90-1: Pope 51 *, Lees 34 * Scorecard
Daryl Mitchell’s magnificent 190 gave New Zealand complete control of the second test against England on the second day at Trent Bridge.
Mitchell’s touch, allied to Tom Blundell’s 106 and debutant Michael Bracewell’s 49, brought tourists to 553.
It is the third highest total England has ever awarded since entering the opposition, and the highest in 33 years.
Mitchell, who dropped three on Friday, also benefited from being defeated in 104 by Matthew Potts.
England lost to Zak Crawley by just four, but bounced back by 90-1, with Ollie Pope at 51 and Alex Lees at 34.
Mitchell paid for England’s generosity with two drops of his own on the first slip, one for Lees and Pope.
England will start on Sunday 463 behind, looking for a way to somehow preserve their 1-0 series lead.
Cash tickets in New Zealand
After his first-day mistakes – beating New Zealand and then losing four catches – there was always the danger that England would pay on Saturday.
Once Mitchell and Blundell overcame a morning burst with a new second ball that only had seven overs, New Zealand made the most of the ideal batting conditions.
There were early warning signs that England might lose the plot: Mitchell’s Potts fall was poor, mistakes were made on the pitch and captain Ben Stokes was not put into play until almost 90 minutes after the day.
However, the hosts remained in their work, exhausting various plans in the hope that they might eventually find a way to overcome the New Zealand baptism. At one point, they were rewarded with three ports in the space of seven balls.
Even on such flat ground, there was concern that England’s baptism would sink after their long stay in the countryside: they have withered in similar circumstances on many occasions in the recent past.
If Mitchell had kept the catches, the hosts would be in great danger, but having nine ports on hand on the third morning gives them a chance to baptize into a much safer position.
The magnificent Mitchell grows up
Mitchell might not have played in this series if Henry Nicholls had not been ruled out of the first round, but he has seized his opportunity for centuries on consecutive Saturdays.
Blundell missed three points at Lord’s, but this time he made no mistake, becoming the first New Zealand goalkeeper to make a Test Cent in England.
From 318-4 overnight, with Mitchell picking up 81 and Blundell 67, they extended their fifth partnership to 236, a New Zealand record against all participants.
They were both determined to attack spinner Jack Leach. Mitchell took his six-to-four lead with two long hits, where he was also eliminated by Potts. Blundell completed his 100th with the same bowling player before making a mistake in the middle.
Mitchell added 91 with insured Bracewell, the scoreboard beat after lunch. With spinners scattered everywhere, only when Bracewell overtook James Anderson to fall did England have an opening.
Mitchell was the last out, chasing a width of Potts as he approached a double century. He left with his top-class score, congratulations from the English players and cheers from Trent Bridge.
England begins a long way back
Aside from the Potts, it’s hard to imagine what England might have done otherwise given the situation they were in at the start of the day.
The left-wing Leach fought again to respond to the New Zealand assault, but at least claimed his first home in exactly 1,000 days.
Broad, playing the next day that the pub he owns in part was severely damaged in a fire, took the ports of Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee to the same spot to mend the two catches that were lost Friday in bowling.
Crawley’s worrying habit of falling behind continued when he hit Trent Boult, but Lees and Pope mixed good shots with moments of luck in his 84th tier.
Lees was 12 when Mitchell took a lead against Southee, letting the left-hander drive well in what is his highest test score.
Pope hooked two sixes, one on the top edge, before hitting Boult with the 37 and dropped in what could possibly have been the catch of goalkeeper Blundell.
In just his third entry in his new number three position, Pope went through half a century of 66 balls, his first with England since last September.
“The pressure is on Crawley,” they said
New Zealand batsman Daryl Mitchell in the Test Match special: “I don’t care much about the double; it was nice to get a score that helped us get a score that could win us the Test Match. It was very rewarding to get it. individual success, but also to help boys “.
England baptism coach Marcus Trescothick in the Test Match special: “We expect a great result in the first inning. working hard even though you feel good can be challenging if you don’t concentrate.
“We have to go back tomorrow and do what we did tonight.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan on Zak Crawley: “The pressure is on him. I think he can play, he has a future at the test level, but he needs scores.
“He will know in his own mind that he needs to run fast enough.
“He’ll see the series, but he has three tickets left and I think he might need a decent number on those tickets for his name.”