After five sessions in the field, the bulk of which was spent watching Daryl Mitchell deliver a masterful 190 as New Zealand amassed their highest Test total on these shores, it was over to England’s top order to soften the analysis of their bowlers.
The tourists stuck 553 all out on the board after being inserted on Friday – Tom Blundell, like Mitchell, registering his third Test century with a well-crafted 106 – and there were 29 overs to negotiate. Given England’s recent exploits against the new ball, the mood among the Nottingham crowd was one of hope rather than expectation.
