Daryl Mitchell scored 190 as New Zealand garnered the highest total of all time in England, while his 236 collaboration with Tom Bloudell was another record for Kiwis in that country. “We are doing very well, he is a wonderful man,” Mitchell said of Blundell, who scored 106 before falling just before dinner. “Although he is quite calm, he is very clear how he wants to play his game. “We just enjoy hitting each other a lot, obviously he’s doing well and it was a lot of fun out there with him.” Mitchell fell into slips from Joe Root on Friday when at three and, having put down both Lees and Pope as the shadows lengthened, he will hope neither of them manages to win so spectacularly. However, the 31-year-old denied that his monumental contribution with the bat, and the hours of effort and concentration it required, had an impact on these missed opportunities. “The first one I probably catch nine times at 10, the second one is a reaction that either sticks or not,” he said. “I was trained to play cricket and play for five days and do this job, it’s just the nature of the game we play.” In an off-field lightning, the runs have flowed freely for much of the competition so far, and both Pope and Lees will now hope to take advantage of the conditions to post potentially redefined sets. Lee finished the day at 34, which was already the highest score for England in his ninth appearance, while Pope had 51, just in the second half of the century in the last 26 international hits and his first after moving to No. 3. “We’ve seen them both play well in county games and have some success here and there playing international cricket,” Trescothick said. “It’s a great opportunity for both of them to get a great score. If we continue to let Ollie grow up in this position, we know the player who is there. There are good signs with Alex. “Playing for 140 overs and then going out to open the bat is difficult, and dealing with it the way it does is impressive.” The Spin: sign up and receive our weekly email cricket. The day was also unforgettable for Trent Boult, whose 16 runs saw him equal Muttiah Muralitharan to No. 11 with the most scores in test history. “I spent the last two months with Trent at the IPL and I think he said every day that he wanted that record,” Mitchell said. “I think he is a very good batsman and I like the energy he brings, it is incredibly fun to fight with him.” Injured bowling alleys in England could soon be boosted by the return of Chris Woakes, who revealed he is just weeks away from returning from a long-term knee injury. “It was a difficult time, but I feel like it has turned around,” he said. “I’ve done some very light bowling sessions, but I feel like competitive cricket is not far off. “I would like to play until the end of the month.” England may soon be able to invite Moeen Ali, who retired from cricket last September and has reiterated his willingness to return for a November tour of Pakistan. “If Baz McCullum wants me, I will definitely play in Pakistan,” he said. “Traveling with an English side there, having a family background from this part of the world, would be amazing.”
