Daryl Mitchell followed up a career-best test knock of 190 by dropping two catches at slip in England’s reply on a bittersweet Day 2 for the New Zealand batter in the second test on Saturday.
Mitchell was one of two century-makers, along with Tom Blundell (106), for the Black Caps in their mammoth total of 553 — their highest ever in England — to help the tourists take command at Trent Bridge.
But at the close of play, it will be the pair of drops that gave Alex Lees and Ollie Pope reprieves which might be on the mind of Mitchell, with the English reaching stumps on 90-1 after a testing two-hour spell after tea. They trail by 463 runs.
Mitchell will be forgiven by his teammates, though, after doing his damage with the bat, firstly sharing a 236-run partnership with Blundell for the fifth wicket and then pushing New Zealand to its 20th highest total in test cricket.
By the time Mitchell departed as the team’s final dismissal following a tired waft behind an hour after tea, New Zealand had moved past its biggest previous test score on English soil — 551 at Lord’s in 1973.
Michael Blackwell, on his test debut, chipped in with 49 before England’s seam attack finally made inroads by taking the Black Caps’ last four wickets for 40 runs.
England leads the three-match series 1-0 after its five-wicket win at Lord’s last week, but a draw is likely the best the team can hope for at Trent Bridge
The hosts are off to a decent start to the reply, however, with Pope on 51 and Lees on 34. Zak Crawley (4) was the only batter to fall, caught behind off Trent Boult off the 12th ball of the innings.