Daryl Mitchell led New Zealand's charge amidst frustrated England bowlers as the visitors ended day one of the second Test at 318/4 on Friday. Mitchell's aggressive 81 not out and an unbeaten 67 from Tom Blundell made England captain Ben Stokes pay for his decision to bowl first on a flat pitch at Trent Bridge.
England's wounds were mostly self-inflicted, with three dropped catches as the bowling and fielding flaws that plagued them in recent months returned.
The Kiwis, despite captain Kane Williamson's absence due to COVID-19, punished England bowling, with Mitchell and Blundell amassing an unbeaten 149-run partnership for the fifth wicket after openers Tom Latham and Will Young put on 84.
Stokes dismissed Young for 47 while stand-in skipper Latham fell to James Anderson for 26 off the next ball. But New Zealand stayed positive, continuing to find the boundaries regularly as Devon Conway (46) and Tom Nicholls (30) kept the visitors on top.
Nicholls eventually edged Stokes to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, who also took the catch when Conway nicked one behind soon afterwards off Anderson. Latham admitted he would also have bowled first given the chance, but said he might be reconsidering that verdict after his team seized control in emphatic fashion.
"We certainly would have taken that. We were quite keen to bowl first as well this morning but, after losing the toss, we thought putting on 300 in a day on a wicket like that is actually a very good effort," Conway said.
"The pitch played a lot better than it looked. There was a little bit of swing for the bowlers at times but it was a pretty true, good surface."
Mitchell hit nine fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 81. He went on the attack against spinner Jack Leach after tea, reverse-sweeping a four, then launching a towering six that splash-landed in a fan's pint of beer in the stands.
Mitchell sparkles
Mitchell had just three runs when he was dropped by Joe Root off Stokes. He took full advantage, following the century he bagged at Lord's with another crucial innings. New Zealand were scoring at nearly four runs an over, a rapid rate that served to underline England's frustration.
Stuart Broad tried a barrage of short balls to Mitchell but the batsman fought fire with fire and hooked for six to complete the hundred partnership. Root then dropped another catch, this one a tricky chance when Blundell edged Leach on 47.
A curious failed England appeal for lbw against Blundell when he clearly hit the ball summed up their growing desperation.
On a day to forget for England, Broad was left howling in frustration after Blundell's edge into the slips was missed by Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow.
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