Lunch New Zealand 412 for 5 (Mitchell 128*, Blundell 106, Bracewell 5*) vs England
Mitchell scored his second century in a row during a fluent knock which included 17 fours and two sixes – one of those maximums now infamous for landing in a spectator’s pint of cider on Friday – to be unbeaten on 128 at the break.
The visitors resumed on 318 for 4 with Mitchell unbeaten on 81 and Blundell not out 68 and it wasn’t too long before Mitchell – who had scored 108 in New Zealand’s second innings at Lord’s – brought up his latest ton with an outside edge through slips cordon for four, marking the occasion with clenched fists and a shout of “yes!”.
England, who squandered four dismissal opportunities on the first day, could rightly mirror Mitchell’s slack-jawed disbelief when another fielding error saw him survive – then cash in – shortly after reaching his century. On 104, Mitchell lofted Jack Leach down the ground and Matthew Potts, running round to his left from long-on made the distance comfortably but somehow managed only to get a fingernail to the ball before it bounced onto his knee and over the rope for four.
Potts bowled the next over, only to concede back-to-back fours to Mitchell, the first bringing up the 200-partnership via an outside edge behind point and the second a crunching drive through mid-off.
Having moved to 90, Blundell paused for treatment after copping a heavy blow to his finger whilst facing Potts. After that, however, Blundell made relatively fast work of reaching his hundred with two fours from three Leach deliveries, the latter as he advanced down the pitch and launched the ball back over the bowler’s head for one bounce over the rope, and then a scrambled single off the last ball of the over.
Shortly after reaching the milestone, however, Blundell took Leach on once more, this time to his peril as he chipped to Ben Stokes at mid-off. His dismissal brought Test debutant Michael Bracewell to the crease and he remained unbeaten on 5 at lunch.
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