NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Daryl Mitchell literally took it on the chin for New Zealand.
And the forearm, and the ribs, and the shoulder, and the fingers.
Mitchell was battered and bruised by England's bowlers but unbowed on Sunday in scoring an unbeaten century to help New Zealand close in on a rare test series win in the old country.
He was the anchor in a snail-paced second innings that was declared at 288-9 moments after he reached a gutsy century after tea on day four.
That set England an unlikely target of 373 in the fourth innings on a spicy pitch. No team has ever scored 300 or more in a successful fourth innings chase at Trent Bridge and England was sinking at 103-4 at stumps in a manic reaction to the shocking retirement announcement of skipper Ben Stokes.
Mitchell took 13 blows to the body or gloves, including one bouncer from Gus Atkinson right onto his helmet grill. Like every other blow, Mitchell shook off the initial pain, straightened his gear and faced the next delivery.
He started the day on 26, in partnership with Rachin Ravindra on 60. New Zealand led by 204 runs and was determined to extend it past England's reach.
They dug in. Just before lunch, Ravindra was pinned on 94, breaking their stand of 129. Ravindra was gutted after more than four hours at the crease.
After lunch, Mitchell reached his slowest test fifty, in 170 balls. More partners came and went and a hundred didn’t look likely until he and No. 10 batter Ben Sears hit 50 together in as many balls.
Then Sears retired after a blow to his bowling hand and last batter Will O'Rourke came out. O'Rourke lasted three balls and the innings was thought to be over, but Sears returned with his hand strapped and Mitchell on 92.
Still unhurried, Mitchell absorbed eight more deliveries to get to 100 and ran pumping his fist and swinging his bat in joy after 6 1/2 hours in the middle at the tail of a British heat wave. His sixth test hundred was his fourth against England.
The 241 balls he faced came in phases. He scored 18 off his first 26 balls, was 20 off 60 overnight, was on 63 off 210 at tea, then added 37 off 31 balls. Sears scored his first test runs, 19.
Mitchell's extraordinary day wasn't over.
In the field for England's chase, he took a tumbling backwards catch to end the last bat of Ben Stokes' test career and caught out the other opener, Ben Duckett, at slips.
It was Mitchell's turn to land blows.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell, right, celebrates reaching a half century on day four of the Third Rothesay Test in Nottingham, England, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)
New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell, right, celebrates reaching a century on day four of the Third cricket Test between England and New Zealand in Nottingham, England, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)
New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell bats, on day four of the Third Test cricket match between England and New Zealand, in Nottingham, England, Sunday June 28, 2026. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Robbie Ray outpitched Chris Sale in a matchup of Cy Young Award winners and the San Francisco Giants held off the Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Sunday.
Ray allowed just four hits and an unearned run in eight innings. Caleb Kilian entered with a 3-1 lead in the ninth and gave up a leadoff double to Matt Chapman, who scored after two groundouts.
Pinch-hitter Dominic Smith singled off the glove of shortstop Casey Schmitt and pinch-runner Jorge Mateo stole second, but Kilian struck out former Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski swinging for his sixth save.
With a pair of outstanding pitching performances, San Francisco (35-48) won the last two games of the three-game series against the slumping Braves (49-33), who have dropped six of seven and 12 of 16. They lead the NL East by three games over surging Philadelphia.
Ray (7-6) didn't permit a baserunner until Matt Olson's leadoff single in the fifth and gave up his only run in the eighth following a fielding error by Chapman at third base. The left-hander struck out two, walked one and threw 95 pitches.
Ray also went eight innings in his previous start, giving up two hits and an unearned run in a 3-1 win over the Athletics.
Sale (8-6) struck out 10 and walked one in six innings. He allowed eight hits but only two runs, one earned.
Luis Arraez and Heliot Ramos singled off the Atlanta ace to begin the sixth. Rafael Devers reached on an infield single, and Arraez scored the first run on a throwing error by third baseman Austin Riley.
Sale fanned Willy Adames and Victor Bericoto, but Jung Hoo Lee made it 2-0 with another infield single. Sale struck out Eric Haase to end the inning.
Drew Gilbert had a pinch-hit single off Braves reliever Didier Fuentes to start the seventh. Chapman doubled in front of Arraez's sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.
Adames left with an apparent injury after striking out to end the inning.
Michael Harris II put Atlanta on the board with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Riley's groundout trimmed it to 3-2 in the ninth.
Olson had three of Atlanta’s six hits. The Braves went 1-5 on their road trip.
Giants RHP Tyler Mahle (1-7, 5.49 ERA) starts Monday at Arizona opposite LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (6-2, 2.27).
The Braves host St. Louis on Tuesday. LHP Matthew Liberatore (3-5, 5.56 ERA) pitches for the Cardinals.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
San Francisco Giants' Heliot Ramos scores in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in San Francisco (AP Photo/Justine Willard)
San Francisco Giants' Eric Haase, left, and Caleb Kilian, right, hug after their team defeated the Atlanta Braves in a baseball game, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in San Francisco (AP Photo/Justine Willard)
San Francisco Giants' Heliot Ramos, left, and Matt Chapman, right, celebrate after their team defeated the Atlanta Braves in a baseball game, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in San Francisco (AP Photo/Justine Willard)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale throws to a San Francisco Giants batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in San Francisco (AP Photo/Justine Willard)
San Francisco Giants pitcher Robbie Ray throws to a Atlanta Braves batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in San Francisco (AP Photo/Justine Willard)
