England waste reviews as Mitchell digs in
England have used both of their reviews on Daryl Mitchell, both unsuccessful, as the New Zealand batsman survived a searching examination on the opening day of the second Test at the Oval. Mitchell, who tormented England with a record 538 runs in the 2022 series, was given out on the field after a delivery from Matthew Fisher struck his pad, but replays showed the ball would have missed leg stump. The decision to challenge came after an earlier review against the same batsman – also on lbw – had already been lost. The two failed reviews leave England without any further challenges.
Cox drops Mitchell on debut
Mitchell had earlier been handed a reprieve when debutant wicketkeeper Jordan Cox spilled a sharp chance at leg slip off the bowling of Josh Tongue. The ball flew low to Cox’s left and the Essex man could not cling on, a collective groan going around the Oval. Cox, making his Test debut after a broken thumb derailed his previous opportunity in 2024, had reason to be disappointed: he scored 204 in his only innings for Essex in a recent County Championship match, and missed the first Test because of his IPL commitments. The drop allowed Mitchell to continue an innings that has proved stubborn for England’s attack, who have bowled tight lines since lunch.
Mitchell and Blundell revisit 2022 heroics
The significance of Mitchell’s presence at the crease with Tom Blundell was not lost on England. On New Zealand’s last tour of England in 2022, the pair added 724 runs in three Tests – including four century partnerships – and Mitchell became the first New Zealander to score three hundreds in a series against England, averaging 107.60. Blundell, alongside Mitchell, was one of the few bright sparks for the visitors in a series England won 3-0. With New Zealand teetering at 124 for 4, another rescue act from the pair would be invaluable. Mitchell currently holds the record for the most runs by a New Zealand batsman in a Test series against England, and remains ranked as the No. 1 ODI batsman in the world. Blundell will need to draw on that 2022 form to help the tourists rebuild.
Baker claims maiden Test wicket
The session brought a milestone for England debutant Sonny Baker. The Hampshire fast bowler, who has impressed with 22 county wickets this season, claimed his first Test scalp when Rachin Ravindra edged a back-of-a-length delivery to Jacob Bethell at gully. Baker’s pace – consistently around 90mph – and late swing troubled the middle order, and his figures of 8-2-19-1 reflected a disciplined spell. England head coach Brendon McCullum has likened Baker’s passionate approach to that of Mark Wood, and Baker has previously taken a maiden first-class five-wicket haul at the Oval against Surrey. His call-up comes after a challenging introduction to white-ball internationals in September 2025, but at the Oval he looked at home.
Earlier in the afternoon, Josh Tongue had prised out Henry Nicholls, who chopped on after a delivery that bounced extra. Nicholls had been recalled to the New Zealand side to replace the recently retired Kane Williamson – who abruptly quit all international cricket on Friday – and was looking settled on 24. Tongue, England’s top wicket-taker in the 2025 Test series against India with 19 scalps, added to his tally with that effort. Nicolls’s departure left New Zealand at 78 for 3, and the visitors soon lost another when Tom Latham, attempting to flick Jofra Archer through the leg side, edged to Bethell at gully. Latham had made 27. Archer, returning to the side after a break following the IPL, bowled a testing pre-lunch spell, squaring up Nicholls and finding bounce from the Pavilion End.
The morning session had been interrupted by early rain, forcing a revised schedule for the day: the first session ran from 11:30 to 13:30, with lunch moved to 13:30-14:10, followed by a second session from 14:10-16:10, tea from 16:10-16:30, and a third session from 16:30-18:30, with an extra 30 minutes available to make up overs. By the time Baker struck, the sun was beating down on south London and the crowd had been treated to a proper contest – particularly after the scent of barbecued meat from the Harleyford Road drifted over the ground. England, missing their captain Ben Stokes after he was dropped for a breach of team curfew, are led by Joe Root for the first time in the Bazball era. Stokes, along with Gus Atkinson, is under investigation by the ECB and the Cricket Regulator for a nightclub incident following the first Test win. Root’s side have bowled with discipline, but they will know that Mitchell and Blundell have the pedigree to turn the game.
