After putting New Zealand into a dominating position on the second day of the first Test against England at Lord’s, Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell were both chasing coveted hundreds.
After coming together with New Zealand in difficulty at 56 for four, the pair’s unbroken stand of 180 brought the World Test champions to 236 for four in their second innings at stumps, a lead of 227, in a match where bowlers on both sides had previously been on top.
READ MORE: Ben Stokes’ side falters, leaving the game equally balanced
Mitchell was 97 not out, and Blundell was 90 not out, the first two fifties of the match, and the pair had now equaled Martin Crowe and Shane Thomson’s record fifth-wicket partnership against England, established at Lord’s in 1994.
They put up the match’s first-century partnership in traditional Test form, showcasing strong defense while punishing anything loose or overly full.
Mitchell hit the last ball of the day, from England debutant Matthew Potts, for four runs to go within three runs of his second century in ten Tests after his unbroken 102 against Pakistan in Christchurch last year.
His partnership with wicketkeeper Blundell demonstrated how a decent surface was not to blame for the 17 wickets lost on Thursday.
Even though there are still three days remaining in this three-Test series, England’s difficulty to hit 141 in response to New Zealand’s first-innings 132 suggests the visitors may have enough runs to play with.
Potts doubling
Potts, who had a fantastic first-innings return of four for 13, struck again with a pre-lunch burst of two for 11 in four overs on Friday.
Durham, 23, quickly dismissed New Zealand captain Kane Williamson for the second time in the contest.
Potts, who had taken Williamson’s wicket as his maiden Test wicket in only five balls on Thursday, bowled a brilliant lifting delivery that Williamson could only edge to third slip Jonny Bairstow.
When Potts had opener Tom Latham caught behind for 14 and New Zealand was 30 for two, it quickly became 35 for three.
Devon Conway, who made his Test debut with a stunning double century at Lord’s last year, fell cheaply for the second time in this match as a mistimed pull off Stuart Broad was taken down the legside by wicketkeeper Ben Foakes after lunch.
Mitchell, the son of legendary All Blacks rugby coach John Mitchell, smashed two fours off consecutive balls from new England captain Ben Stokes, one inswinger clipped past midwicket followed by a straight drive down the ground.
Stokes called on rookie leg-spinner Matt Parkinson for his maiden Test bowling spell with New Zealand at 90 for four off 32 overs.
After being called from Manchester on Thursday to replace Jack Leach, who had fallen on his head while rescuing a boundary, Parkinson became England’s first concussion substitution.
Parkinson bowled tidily without threatening a wicket after batting at No 11 and helping England to a nine-run first-innings advantage.
After tea, Blundell square-droved Potts for four, his seventh boundary, to finish with a 101-ball fifty, and Mitchell followed suit in 97 balls, including five limitations.
Their efforts guaranteed that Tim Southee’s (four for 55) and Trent Boult’s (three for 21) efforts in bringing New Zealand back to almost equal terms were not in vain.
