ENG vs NZ, 2nd Test, Day 1: Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell put visitors in a strong position once again
India Today
New Zealand put themselves in a strong position at the end of day’s play in Nottinghamshire putting up 318 runs for the loss of four wickets.
England were left to rue the decision to bowl first after winning the toss in the second Test match at Trent Bridge. Captain Ben Stokes’s men found no joy in bowling on day 1 of the Test match, leaking runs at a rate of 3.6 per over.
New Zealand, who missed their captain Kane Williamson after he was diagnosed as Covid-19 positive did very well and batted to 318 runs at the loss of four wickets. All of their batsmen found start but failed to build it into a big innings. However, the team will be happy with their first innings outing having been skittled out for just 132 runs in the first innings of the first game.
The team however, lost wickets in bunches with the first debacle coming when there were 84 runs on board. First it was the England captain removing Will Young with a full length ball that the batter edged back to the slips and soon after it was a mistimed pull shot from Tom Latham that Matty Potts grabbed with a diving effort at mid wicket. New Zealand managed to shake it off and continued to pile on runs. However, they once again lost wickets between the 39th and 42nd overs with Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway sent packing. And was once again the combination of Stokes and Anderson that gave England the wickets.
Devon Conway’s wicket was interesting in particular because it seems that the batter has developed a inside edge deficiency. On the day, Conway was beaten on the inside edge by Anderson and the rest was done by Ben Foakes behind the stumps.
New Zealand once again held the reigns with the tried and tested duo of Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell who put together 149 runs between them to take the score to 318.
None of the bowlers barring Stokes and Anderson were successful and England would really hope that they come to the party tomorrow.
