Trescothick pleased after Ollie Pope and Alex Lees lead England fightback

Marcus Trescothick, England’s batting coach, declared himself “fairly happy with where we are at the moment” despite the team ending day two at Trent Bridge on 90 for one and trailing by a daunting 463 runs. England’s reply to New Zealand’s 553 started dismally with Zak Crawley falling early but Ollie Pope and Alex Lees survived to stumps, though both benefited from drops in the slips to get there.

Daryl Mitchell scored 190 as New Zealand compiled their highest ever total in England, while his partnership of 236 with Tom Blundell was another record for the Kiwis in this country. “We get on really well, he’s a great man,” Mitchell said of Blundell, who scored 106 before falling shortly before lunch. “Although he’s quite quiet he’s very clear how he wants to play his game. We just really enjoy batting with each other, obviously it’s going well and it’s been bloody good fun out there with him.”

Mitchell was dropped in the slips by Joe Root on Friday when on three and, having put down both Lees and Pope as the shadows lengthened, will hope neither manages to profit so spectacularly. But the 31-year‑old denied that his monumental contribution with the bat, and the hours of effort and concentration it required, had any impact on those missed chances. “The first one I probably catch nine times out of 10, the second’s a reaction catch that either sticks or it doesn’t,” he said. “I’ve trained to play Test cricket and play five days and do this job, it’s just the nature of the game we play.”

On a lightning outfield runs have flowed freely for much of the contest so far, and both Pope and Lees will now hope to benefit from the conditions to post potentially redefining totals. Lees ended the day on 34, already his highest score for