Only 80 deliveries were bowled in the session. © AFP
A 76-run unbroken stand between Daryl Mitchell and debutant Michael Bracewell added to England's woes as New Zealand went into Tea on Day 2 at 481/5, with a spell of rain leading to an early break on Saturday (June 11). Bracewell was not out on 40 and struck seven out of the 10 fours scored in the session, while Mitchell hit a couple of sixes as well, as the pair scored 69 runs off 13.2 overs, with Mitchell crossing 150 for the first time, before a shower forced the players off the field at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

Bracewell started off with two fours off Ben Stokes in the first over after Lunch, while Jack Leach conceded 17 runs in the next - with Mitchell scoring a four and a six, and Bracewell adding to his boundary count. Bracewell took a particular liking to Stokes, scoring two more fours in an over while he also struck two boundaries off Matty Potts, although a couple of his fours were streaky ones. Mitchell too kept the boundaries coming as he went past 150, with the sixth wicket pair helping New Zealand make good progress. Leach became the first bowler to concede more than 100 runs in the innings while Potts joined him a short while later.

Earlier, in the first session, as many as 15 boundaries were scored in the 97 runs that New Zealand scored before Lunch as Mitchell and Blundell scored at a steady rate - close to 3.5 runs an over - taking advantage of the conditions with minimum swing or movement off the pitch. Stuart Broad and James Anderson erred with their line and lengths on a few occasions and the fifth wicket pair made sure to capitalise on it. The experienced pace pair bowled only eight overs in tandem before Ben Stokes turned to Leach and Matty Potts. But they were unable to produce the breakthrough that England were hoping for, as Mitchell and Blundell dealt in boundaries to power their team forward.

England's catching woes continued as Potts grassed a chance when Mitchell miscued one off Leach. In the very next over Mitchell got a thick edge off Potts that went to the boundary, helping the fifth wicket pair bring up the double-century stand, and he also struck a classy off-drive for another four in the same over. A sweep off Leach and a slog off Stokes gave Mitchell two more boundaries while Blundell was also finding the ropes regularly at the other end. The wicketkeeper-batter got a thick edge off Leach for a four and then lofted one that nearly cleared the fence, before reaching three-figures with a single, bringing up his third Test hundred. New Zealand crossed the 400 mark in the 109th over before the massive 236-run partnership came to an end towards the end of the first session when Blundell found Stokes at mid off while trying to loft a Leach delivery.

Brief scores: New Zealand 481/5 (Daryl Mitchell 162*, Tom Blundell 106; James Anderson 2-54, Ben Stokes 2-85) vs England.