Rachin Ravindra stayed unbeaten on 46 as New Zealand reached 96-3 in the 28th over of the third men’s cricket Test at Trent Bridge on day three. Daryl Mitchell was alongside him on 18, and England still had to break the stand before stumps.
Ravindra and Mitchell steady New Zealand
The position was built one small step at a time. New Zealand had added 14 runs in the previous seven overs by the time they moved to 96-3, with Ravindra and Mitchell still in after 28 overs.
Ravindra had taken the better of the scoring. He cut Stokes behind point for two in the 25th over, drove Bashir hard in the 21st over, and kept moving even when Bashir beat his outside edge in the 26th over.
England slow the scoring
England had moments where the pressure held. Bashir bowled a maiden in the 20th over, Stokes sent down another in the 23rd, and Bashir then gave away only a couple of singles in the 22nd.
That control still did not bring the breakthrough. By the 24th over, New Zealand had reached 86-3 with Ravindra on 42 and Mitchell on 16, then moved to 88-3 in the 25th, 91-3 in the 26th and 95-3 in the 27th before Ravindra reached 46 in the next over.
Trent Bridge pressure builds
Ben Stokes was announced over the tannoy during the 21st over, while Atkinson finished his spell with 1-25 from eight overs. England were left needing one more wicket to halt a partnership that had already carried New Zealand to 172-3 earlier in the stand, but the final passage of play still pointed to Ravindra and Mitchell controlling the late-day tempo.
If England could not split them before stumps, New Zealand would carry a set batter into the next phase with a platform already in place. Ravindra had done the main job: hold one end, force England to keep working, and leave the match balanced around a pair still at the crease.
