Shoaib Bashir removed Rachin Ravindra for 93 and celebrated as if England had turned the day, but New Zealand were still 190-4 in the 64th over and still in control of the third men’s cricket Test at Trent Bridge. Daryl Mitchell was 49 not out and Tom Blundell 4 not out as England kept hunting wickets on a slow surface that was asking for patience more than speed.
That wicket mattered because Ravindra had carried much of New Zealand’s innings before Bashir got him, reviewed the dismissal and lost. Three big reds kept the decision in place, six runs short of a century, and the applause that followed only underlined how hard England had worked for a breakthrough. Even after taking that wicket, New Zealand’s lead had climbed to 273, leaving England with a long afternoon and the prospect of batting last on the same difficult pitch.
New Zealand’s scoring had been measured throughout the innings, just above 2.4 runs an over, which made every boundary and every extra feel heavier for England. Atkinson had already leaked four byes down the leg side to Jamie Smith in the 58th over, pushing the lead to 263 before Bashir struck in the 59th. By the time New Zealand reached 190-4, the scoreboard still pointed one way: the visitors had enough time, enough wickets in hand and enough of a cushion to keep England under pressure.
There was little sign the surface would suddenly ease for the chasing side. England had to bowl first, then later bat last, and that alone sharpened the value of every wicket they could claim in the afternoon session. Jofra Archer was due to start after lunch from the Stuart Broad End, with Ben Stokes taking the Radcliffe Road End, as England looked for the two more dismissals that could stop New Zealand stretching the target any further. Until then, Bashir’s roar to the heavens was only a moment, not a shift in the match.
The scoreline has given England work rather than hope. If New Zealand can add even a little more through Mitchell and Blundell, the chase will become tougher still when England finally go in on a surface that has already rewarded restraint and punished impatience.
