ENG vs NZ: New Zealand Have 'Big Job' To Do Against England On Day 3, Says Tom Blundell
Published - 04 Jun 2022, 12:30 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:08 AM
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New Zealand wicketkeeper Tom Blundell is content with his magnificent hundred-plus partnership with Daryl Mitchell yet realizes that the visitors need to tie down a major lead on Day three to place England under pressure in the Lord’s Test.
Blundell (90 not out) and Mitchell (97 not out) added 180 runs for the fifth wicket to rescue New Zealand and take a strong 227-run lead on the second day.
New Zealand On-Track After Early Jolts
Wickets tumbled on an unhinged first day and toward the beginning of the two yet world Test champions New Zealand showed versatility with the bat in the second and third session as they retaliated and put pressure on the hosts.
“I was just doing my things and playing the way I like to play,” Blundell told reporters.
“I was being positive… I thought Daryl batted especially well and to build a partnership with him was pretty pleasing.”
Britain’s quick bowlers bowled out New Zealand for 132 in the first innings however they battled to track down the partnership between Blundell and Mitchell on Friday.
Tried To Play The Ball Late And Straight: Tom Blundell
Gotten some information about how the Black Caps pair figured out how to break the bowlers’ cadence, Blundell said: “I think it was about trying to play the ball late and look to hit really straight.
“The pitch is a little bit slow, quite hard to get a rhythm at times, but if you get through that and keep on bringing the bowlers back — I thought we did that really well.”
Daryl Mitchell And I Have A Big Job Tomorrow: Tom Blundell
Blundell stays 10 runs off from his third hundred in the test format and furthermore gets his name highlighted on the iconic Lord’s honours board.
“Obviously it would mean a lot but there is a long way to go in this game,” he added.
“Daryl and I have a big job tomorrow to build that lead.
“Those milestones will take care of themselves but first and foremost we got our job to do.”
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