Daryl Mitchell shines again after England's fast start

Mitchell and Tom Blundell put together their latest terrific partnership for New Zealand after Ben Stokes' side took five wickets before tea

Nick Friend | 23/06/2022 at 18:35

Headingley (first day of five): New Zealand 225-5, England

Scorecard

England enjoyed the better of the first day of the third Test against New Zealand before Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell put together yet another defiant stand to halt the hosts in their tracks.

New Zealand, with Kane Williamson back in charge following his bout of Covid, won the toss and elected to bat on a featherbed surface against an England attack missing James Anderson, whose absence with an ankle niggle allowed for Jamie Overton to make his international debut.

England have already won the three-match series but Ben Stokes had spoken beforehand about the importance of his side putting on a show as his captaincy regime continues to take shape. And they were given the perfect start when Stuart Broad ended an impeccable first over by having Tom Latham pouched at first slip by Joe Root, back on his home ground.

Williamson and Will Young saw off the remaining threat caused by England's new-ball pairing, but Stokes turned to Jack Leach just 12 overs in, and the left-arm spinner struck immediately, trapping Young in front with his first delivery.

Williamson was next, edging behind off Broad just before lunch, and it might have been even better for the home side had Aleem Dar – the third umpire – come to a different conclusion when England reviewed an lbw appeal against Devon Conway. Dar concluded that whether inside edge had come before or after cannoning into the left-hander's pad was inconclusive.

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^{Jamie Overton made his Test debut (Lindsey Parnaby/AFP via Getty Images)}

England didn't have to wait much longer for Conway's wicket though; he dragged on as he looked to drive Overton through the off-side, giving the Surrey fast bowler – who was presented with his cap by twin brother Craig – his maiden Test scalp.

Mitchell has been imperious through this series, however. He led New Zealand's recovery from 83 for 4, though he was given a life when England opted not to review an lbw for Matthew Potts, with the evidence showing the ball would have cannoned into middle stump. Potts went wicketless but was the pick of England's seamers.

For all his runs, Mitchell has enjoyed an unusual series, being involved in the runouts of Will Young and Tim Southee at Trent Bridge and playing his part unwittingly in one of the strangest dismissals you are likely to see at Headingley.

In the final over before tea, Henry Nicholls drove seemingly past mid-on for four off Leach, only for Mitchell's attempt to take evasive action resulting in a remarkable deflection off the middle of his bat into the bewildered hands of Alex Lees at mid-off.

That brought together the Mitchell-Blundell axis, and they put on an unbroken 102-run stand to take the tourists through to stumps.