New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell scored an impressive 190 while Tom Blundell also hit a century to put the tourists in a strong position at 553 all out on day two of the second Test against England on Saturday.
A more aggressive Mitchell milked the runs off spinner Jack Leach during the second session, smashing a huge six before getting to 150 runs after Blundell had departed for 106 on a productive morning at Trent Bridge.
The duo had shared a partnership of 236 — New Zealand’s highest fifth-wicket stand in Tests — as the world champions heaped the pressure on the hosts in their quest to level the three-match series at 1-1.
A journeyman with little Test pedigree until this series, Mitchell was only given his chance in the first Test after Henry Nicholls failed to recover from Covid-19 in time.
Six years ago, Mitchell had a season playing for Blackpool in the Northern Premier League and scored just two centuries.
The 31-year-old batsman arrived in England with just one Test hundred to his name since his 2019 debut, but now he has three following his 108 at Lord’s.
Mitchell’s latest century, his highest in Tests, came up in 184 balls, with England dropping him for the second time in the match after his milestone moment.
England, winners of only two of their previous 18 Tests, had to make inroads with a second new ball that was only seven overs old.
But Blundell’s back-foot drive off Anderson underlined nothing had changed overnight as it rattled into the fence for the first boundary of the day.
Mitchell, who had scored 81 on Friday after being dropped by Joe Root on three, moved within touching distance of his ton after pulling a short Anderson delivery for a crunching four.
Having survived an lbw appeal from Matthew Potts, Mitchell brought up his century with a fortuitous edge off the England seamer.
If that was an ungainly way to reach the hundred, it was out of character with the rest of Mitchell’s classy innings.
