And here’s the report of day two at the MCG.
Close on day 2 - New Zealand 44-2 (Australia 467)
If Australia shaded Boxing Day they stamped their authority all over this Test match on day two against New Zealand, batting the tourists into distraction for most of the day and then firing out two top-order stars before the close. The Kiwis are already facing an uphill task to avoid consecutive humiliating defeats.
Steve Smith laid the platform, patiently accumulating 85 before Travis Head (114) took on the job of shepherd, inching to his second Test century and securing his short-term future in the process. He put on a momentum-changing 150 with Tim Paine whose dashing 79 was his highest Test score as captain. A late slog for quick runs ended with Australia all out for 467, a first innings total well above par considering the amount of movement on offer with the new ball.
That total was soon made to look gargantuan when Pat Cummins dismantled makeshift opener Tom Blundell’s technique (15) and Kane Williamson (9) miscued a pull off James Pattinson to leave his side miles behind.
With three scorching hot days to come New Zealand face the prospect of long drawn out torture simply to remain alive in the series. To find out if they can survive tomorrow’s examination join Adam Collins and I right here.
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18th over: New Zealand 44-2 (Latham 9, Taylor 2) Lyon gets another opportunity and he finds a tempting line and length outside off stump that has Taylor watchfully smothering anything coming his way.
17th over: New Zealand 43-2 (Latham 9, Taylor 1) Pattinson continues to hurl himself into his work but Latham is up to the task, defending anything straight, leaving anything wide, and working a couple off his pads for good measure.
16th over: New Zealand 41-2 (Latham 7, Taylor 1) Nathan Lyon with an early look at the pitch and he begins by inducing a thick edge from Latham’s lope forward. Not much else worth reporting as New Zealand put their shots away with the close of play under ten minutes away.
Cummins’ superb opening spell was seven overs, one for eight, by the way.
15th over: New Zealand 40-2 (Latham 6, Taylor 1) Oh boy, if Cummins to Latham is a match-up Australia like then they love Pattinson to Taylor. The first ball of the over is clipped in the air to short leg but it’s too hot to hold for the man under the lid. The second rips through Taylor’s forward press, smacks into the pad and umpire Erasmus raises his finger! TAYLOR REVIEWS, AND DRS INDICATES THE BALL WAS BOUNCING OVER THE TOP. That was full enough to give with the naked eye but Taylor survives.
Official attendance for Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test is 59,676 #AUSvNZ
— Melbourne Cricket Ground (@MCG) December 27, 2019
14th over: New Zealand 40-2 (Latham 6, Taylor 1) Latham is not happy at all repeatedly facing Cummins. His latest interrogation features a short ball that leaves a cherry red mark on his white shirt just below his silver fern. Pinned to his crease Cummins then targets the pads but Latham gets enough bat in the way to prolong his torture.
Take that, Dunedin! You idiots!! https://t.co/BQQ3wXlhIk
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) December 27, 2019
13th over: New Zealand 39-2 (Latham 6, Taylor 0) To use host broadcaster parlance, Pattinson is up and about. When he gets his tail up like this he reminds me of a juvenile Rottweiler, muscular and eager, with that slight hint of undomesticated menace about him. With the added energy boost of his wicket he beats Latham for pace and arrows in a superb yorker that is only just repelled.
Updated
WICKET! Williamson c Paine b Pattinson 9 (New Zealand 39-2)
Full and wide from Pattinson so Williamson reaches and strokes a cover drive that travels about as far as a cricket ball can in a Test arena without touching a rope. The all-run four means Williamson retains the strike and he perishes next ball! Quick and short from Pattinson, tucking Williamson up, but the Kiwi skipper nonetheless tries the pull, but he can only top-edge high in the air for Paine to run around to leg-gully and pouch the catch. Huge dismissal. Australia steamrollering their way through this match now.
12th over: New Zealand 35-1 (Latham 6, Williamson 5) Latham accepts a rare invitation to get forward and pushes a couple through the covers. The movement and timing probably warranted a boundary but Latham’s closed bat face once again proved his undoing. Ricky Ponting then goes on to forensically examine Latham’s flawed technique, concluding that it is not good, especially outside off stump. Cummins illustrates the point by whistling a delivery past the outside edge, getting one to hold its line from around the wicket.
11th over: New Zealand 33-1 (Latham 4, Williamson 5) Pattinson must bowl about the heaviest ball in the game. It really does thud into the bat. New Zealand play him well this over though, trusting the length, and the pitch, which has so far not misbehaved since the innings break.
59,675 at the MCG today. Super day 2 crowd #AUSvNZ
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) December 27, 2019
10th over: New Zealand 31-1 (Latham 3, Williamson 4) The first slightly wayward over from Cummins in his spell but Latham can only fashion two from it, missing out on a leg stump full toss. This is Cummins we’re talking about, so even a below-par set of six contains the odd pearler, including the final delivery that cuts Latham in half and almost grazes the inside-edge of his bat.
During the drinks break another AFL footballer is interviewed by the host broadcaster. That particular intervention with Steele Sidebottom was about as vapid as you could design, including an admission from Sidebottom that he’d never watched a Test at the G before, which is about as un-Victorian as it gets.
9th over: New Zealand 29-1 (Latham 1, Williamson 4) Time for James Pattinson, and the parochial Victorian crowd roars its approval. Pattinson is a big strong fella, built like a rugby union centre, or the trunk of a gum tree in the Dandenong Ranges. He starts well, finding a Cummins-like line and length in excess of 140kph. Williamson squirts a single behind point and Latham scampers a leg-bye as New Zealand inch their score along as the final drinks break of the day begins.
8th over: New Zealand 27-1 (Latham 1, Williamson 3) Cummins now coming around the wicket to Latham, and he almost gets his man with a beauty that jags in off the seam and almost finds the inside edge. Cummins ends the over with his third maiden, moreover, there’s been just one scoring shot in the 24 deliveries he’s sent down this afternoon so far.
Test wickets in Calendar Year 2019:
— Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) December 27, 2019
55* PCummins
41* NLyon, SBroad
40* MStarc, NWagner
33* TSouthee
33 MShami, JHazlewood
7th over: New Zealand 27-1 (Latham 1, Williamson 3) Williamson can’t resist chasing a wide one off Starc and he almost perishes in the gully. Starc then bowls a bouncer so high it’s called a wide then slings down a wicked in-swinging yorker. Line and length then completes the variations from this fast bowling enigma.
6th over: New Zealand 26-1 (Latham 1, Williamson 3) Williamson off the mark with a late cut for three down to third-man, but the over belonged to Pat Cummins and yet another demonstration of his class. Simply too good for Tom Blundell. He needed just three sighters before landing the ball on the precise line and length required to snare his man. Wonderful controlled fast bowling.
WICKET! Blundell c Paine b Cummins 15 (New Zealand 23-1)
Blundell has started positively but the signs of some technical deficiencies are starting to emerge. He does like to feel bat on ball away from his body... and right on cue... he drives at a tempting length and feathers a regulation behind. Terrific start for Australia and another selection headache at the top of the order for the Kiwis.
5th over: New Zealand 23-0 (Latham 1, Blundell 15) There’s that backfoot drive again from Blundell, right up en pointe, guiding Starc through point for three. Australia’s big quick is reaching some tasty speeds but his radar isn’t quite calibrated.
4th over: New Zealand 20-0 (Latham 1, Blundell 12) If Starc to Blundell is unpredictable and full of incident, Cummins to Latham is a study of discipline. The bowler, charging in over the wicket, is aiming to hit the seam and angle the ball away from the batsman just short of a good length. Latham is watchful, hanging back and leaving as often as he can. He is doing so as much on height as line but it almost undoes him late in the over when Cummins produces the one that goes the other way and almost pins his man LBW.
3rd over: New Zealand 20-0 (Latham 1, Blundell 12) Beautiful shot from Blundell, emerging from his crouch like a sunflower addressing the sky , standing tall, and executing a classic backfoot square drive for four. Starc, with his dander up, then hurls down his first bouncer of the day and it flies and flies and flies, over the batsman, over the keeper, one bounce for four byes! Oh dear. On its way to the fence the ball thumped into the robot camera that patrols the boundary and hit it with such force the nearly-new Kookaburra needs replacing. The second ball of the innings is soon back where the first one perished, courtesy of a fine glance for four. All action at the MCG with Starc touching 150kph.
2nd over: New Zealand 8-0 (Latham 1, Blundell 4) Cummins shares the new ball and he almost has Latham first up! Short and on the hip Latham can only glove nervously around the corner and look on in relief as the Kookaburra lands between short-leg and the keeper. The remainder of the over is angled across the batsman, the final delivery beating the outside edge for pace and bounce.
“Afternoon Jonathan from a rather grey and very strike-bound Paris. (France, not Texas),” Gervase Greene, always a pleasure to hear from you. “I have been waiting much of the day for Pain(e) to miscue a square cut down to fine-leg off CdG so I could contribute a witty bon mot on this game of French cricket. Like hopeful passengers on the Metro, I’m still waiting.”
1st over: New Zealand 8-0 (Latham 1, Blundell 4) Starc opens with a no-ball that the left-handed Latham works away for a single. The right-handed Blundell then survives a nifty in-swinger before nudging off his pads for his first two runs as a Test opener. A couple more follow soon after for Blundell, who is very still and very crouched at the crease. The over ends with Blundell playing and missing a howitzer that thunders into Paine’s gloves.
No bouncer from Starc that over so it’s hard to discern what the pitch is doing. There was a bit of shape in the air but nothing prodigious.
There will be 20 more overs before the close of play.
The heavy roller rumbles away from centre stage. Mitchell Starc prowls at the top of his mark. Toms Latham and Blundell adjust their grilles. Here we go!
The obvious question now is: how will the pitch behave? It’s hard to answer conclusive I’m afraid. The surface is generally on the slowish side but there are the small indentations created yesterday by the new ball on the soft top that allow for occasional uneven bounce. If Australia’s taller, faster, pacemen can hit those pock marks, the wicket could prove a handful. Trent Boult found those spots in his most recent spell and there was enough in his effort balls to suggest the New Zealand openers will not relish the conditions.
Australia 467
Australia’s first innings began poorly with the cheap dismissal of Joe Burns but it’s been all uphill since then, ending with a very healthy 467. Travis Head’s second Test century is the standout individual score but much is owed to Steve Smith for grafting his way through 242 deliveries when New Zealand were at their most threatening. Tim Paine’s rapid 79 gave the innings some impetus late-on, setting up the post-tea thrash.
What have New Zealand got in response?
WICKET! Lyon c Wagner b Southee 1 (Australia 467)
That’s your lot. Lyon can’t resist hooking Southee and he helps it all the way to the safe hands of Wagner on the fine-leg boundary.
155th over: Australia 467-9 (Pattinson 14, Lyon 1) Wagner is hunting a five-for but he can’t bag it this over. Pattinson looks to be ending any debate over who bats eight in the future when he lines up alongside both Cummins and Starc.
154th over: Australia 463-9 (Pattinson 11, Lyon 0) Before Cummins’ wicket Pattinson absolutely smoked Southee through midwicket for four. After it Lyon dabbed three defensive prods.
WICKET! Cummins c Latham b Southee 0 (Australia 463-9)
Another one goes hitting out, Cummins this time, swiping Southee to midwicket where Latham holds on.
153rd over: Australia 458-8 (Pattinson 6, Cummins 0) Australia continue to bat on despite the wickets falling and Wagner - in the 153rd over of the innings - celebrates a wicket-maiden.
WICKET! Head c Santner b Wagner 114 (Australia 458-8)
Head holes out, miscuing Wagner high to point where Santner takes a simple running catch. Superb innings. Deserves the standing ovation from 50,000+ inside the MCG.
Updated
152nd over: Australia 458-7 (Head 114, Pattinson 6) Southee is just cannon fodder now with Australia in T20 mode, but with the field well-placed he concedes just four singles.
151st over: Australia 454-7 (Head 112, Pattinson 4) Edges, run outs, LBW appeals, Mitchell Santner, nothing has gone right for New Zealand this match so far. And Head, of course, rubs salt into the wounds, ramping Wagner for four then belting him for four like a Roger Federer crosscourt backhand. Australia are now out here for a good time, not a long time.
Review - Not Out
Wagner invites Williamson to go upstairs again in search of an LBW and it looks a good call. He beats Head down the leg-side with the batter well across his stumps. Was there an inside-edge? DRS reveals it is as close to out as you can get but the margin for error on height is just - barely - umpire’s call, so Head survives. New Zealand’s poor fortune continues to stalk them.
150th over: Australia 444-7 (Head 104 Pattinson 4) After Head raised his bat, Pattinson leaned into a cover drive sweeter than any we’ve seen all Test. Sumptuous timing for four. Australia hurtling towards a declaration now.
By the way, Head is the first South Australian since... Jason Gillespie to score a Test century.
100 to Travis Head!
The batsmen crossed during Starc’s dismissal, meaning Head is on strike for a possible five deliveries of Southee’s over. He needs only two to bring up his second Test century, driving square on the off-side for four, removing his helmet and smiling in relief after finally converting one of his many starts into an historic contribution.
WICKET! Starc c Williamson b Southee 1 (Australia 435-7)
Southee replaces Santner and jags a wicket first ball. Starc tried to send a mid-iron into the Yarra but he chunked it, lobbing a simple catch to mid-on. Both Cummins and Pattinson must be giggling into their Fast Bowling Cartel (TM) apparel.
149th over: Australia 435-6 (Head 99, Starc 1) #Declarationspeculation just got exciting. Intrigue over who would bat eight for Australia was supposed to be about Cummins and Pattinson but out strides Starc, presumably to long-handle a few en route to a declaration sooner rather than later. He does his bit for Head and gets off strike smartish, but the man 99 not out cannot squeeze his way to a ton from three Wagner deliveries despite one of them being a knee-high slow full toss.
WICKET! Paine LBW Wagner 79 (Australia 434-6)
Wagner comes around the wicket for the second over after tea, and he begins with a full fast delivery that raps Paine on his front pad. An LBW appeal follows, declined on-filed, but sent upstairs by Williamson. DRS has to consider whether Paine got his pad outside the line (he didn’t) and whether the ball would have bounced over the bails (it wouldn’t) which means the Aussie skipper has to depart for a well-made 79.
148th over: Australia 434-5 (Head 99, Paine 79) Single to Paine, then a single to Head, a couple of dots, then Santner beats Paine for bounce before the skipper pinches a single to leave Head at the non-striker’s end on 99 at the start of the next over.
Out we come after TEA, boys still pushing hard...
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 27, 2019
🏏 Head 98*
🏏 Paine 77*
🇦🇺 431/5 | https://t.co/N6jpmeRPFE#AUSvNZ #cricketnation pic.twitter.com/xFOfiNlVMf
Ian Loiterton (not using his wife’s phone today, it must be stressed) has combined storylines, roping in both Graeme Hick and dodgy declarations into this awkward moment in Ashes history.
“This in response to an earlier tweet asking about declarations that left a batsman short of a milestone - from Wisden’s all time list of notorious declarations:
In the mid-90s, England’s cricketers were on a downer. But contriving to sabotage a positive position in an Ashes Test was some effort, even by their standards. After bowling Australia out for 116 to lead by 198 on first innings, captain Mike Atherton wanted quick runs to set the Aussies a stiff target and have time to bowl them out again. But irritated by Graeme Hick’s slow scoring – 36 runs in 80 minutes on the fourth afternoon – he declared with Hick just two runs shy of a maiden Ashes century. The match petered out into a draw, and Hick allegedly refused to speak to Athers for the remainder of the tour.”
Peter Kell is on the front line at the MCG, and the news is worrying. “After 3 o’clock, patrons at the bar in the Great Southern Stand are restricted to two beers per customer. They are serving weak mid-strength beer, hardly conducive to a mutiny. But there is a stampede for the urinals. Maybe the MCG is going retro as it’s US army camp days as Camp Murphy when it was dry and alcohol free? Maybe the corporate bars and areas are the only places to get full strength beer?”. Thoughts and prayers Peter, thoughts and prayers.
Updated
Tea - Australia 431-5
Australia have progressively asphyxiated New Zealand during this Test and they tightened their grip during a dominant afternoon session. There is surely now only one possible winner in this match, all that remains to be seen is if the Kiwis can mount a rearguard with the bat to force a draw.
Join us in about 20 minutes or so when we’ll find out if Head and Paine can raise their bats, and for an escalation in #Declarationspeculation.
147th over: Australia 431-5 (Head 98, Paine 77) Maiden from Boult. Head will have to stew over his brew during the tea break.
146th over: Australia 431-5 (Head 98, Paine 77) Head moves to 98 courtesy of another Santner over with all the menace of a mung bean. Can he sneak to three figures before Tea?
Updated
145th over: Australia 428-5 (Head 96, Paine 76) Travis Head has toiled in the 90s like a studio engineer on a Smashing Pumpkins record. His wait for a ton is now in excess of 30 minutes.
Michale Barker has joined in the #Declarationspeculation. “So, what’s the magic number for the declaration, or is it a magic time of the day today?” I reckon it’s a time thing. There are 34 overs left in the day. Australia would want around 15 of them at New Zealand I’d guess, so a declaration in around 20 overs or so feels right to me. Head cramping up on his way to a ton has confused matters, but I reckon Australia will come out after tea in T20 mode and blast it for an hour before jogging in.
144th over: Australia 422-5 (Head 95, Paine 76) Santner continues his filler overs. He is to Test bowling today what Diagnosis Murder or Escape To The Country are for TV schedulers.
143rd over: Australia 417-5 (Head 92, Paine 74) Desperate to hold our attention Paine and Head almost conspire for a run out but the latter makes his ground following an unnecessarily tight single. Boult responds by flinging down the most fearsome couple of deliveries of the day - and perhaps the match - that will have Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson licking their lips. Both balls short, but not on Boult’s toes, and both had Travis Head hopping nervously and flinching inside the line.
142nd over: Australia 417-5 (Head 92, Paine 74) Santner, and New Zealand, going through the motions. Three off the over.
This has sparked plenty of debate during the Test...
200 dollars a head....free lemonade or Prosecco! Bring back bay 13 and look after the mob. They are cricket’s true parishioners. https://t.co/0XOSeK40S5
— jim maxwell (@jimmaxcricket) December 26, 2019
141st over: Australia 414-5 (Head 91, Paine 72) Trent Boult replaces Neil Wagner in some forlorn attempt by Kane Williamson to convince us New Zealand remain committed to taking 20 wickets. The paceman goes for three in an over highlighted by a Paine drive that was timed sweetly but just reminded all involved that this multi-paced surface is far from a road.
This, this is why I do this job.
“Hi Jonathan,” hi Keith. “Your story about AEJ Collins smashing 628 not out reminded me of the last day of school back in 1988. Most of the kids didn’t turn up. Another teacher and myself set up the Kanga Cricket set and told the 20 or so kids around that they could have a bat when they got either Mr Hume or myself out. At little lunch, we were 394-0 and the fielding side had reduced to 14. By lunch, we had pushed on to 781-0. Humey had survived a couple of close LBW decisions and I had been caught off a no ball. Only six fielders returned after the main break and they lost interest when they discovered we weren’t going to declare. Not sure what the total was when the last kid gave up but we were well beyond a thousand. It sounds mean but we calculated that between us we had spent more than 230 lunchtimes that year coaching cricket and had become very adept at eating while standing.”
140th over: Australia 411-5 (Head 91, Paine 69) Just the one from Santner’s latest over.
139th over: Australia 410-5 (Head 91, Paine 68) Wagner bowls some chin music to Paine, who is circumspect, until he hooks just short of fine-leg. Head then allows his thigh-pad to deflect four leg-byes. I reckon we’re 20-25 overs until the declaration, allowing Australia 15-20 overs at New Zealand tonight.
138th over: Australia 405-5 (Head 91, Paine 67) Nobody winced at any of Santner’s deliveries that over. So that’s a win, right? He’s still 0-68 from 15 overs this Boxing Day Test and clearly lost the confidence of his skipper though.
Australia are now on 405 - the sum their batting coach achieved all on his own a few years ago.
137th over: Australia 402-5 (Head 90, Paine 65) Paine moves to his second highest Test score with a dab into the off-side. It’s the only scoring shot of an over of Wagner bumpers that features Paine charging the Kiwi like a confident physics teacher demonstrating some kind of scientific principle that prevents Wagner bowling a delivery low enough to hit a man of average height on the move.
This is the 4th Test at the MCG for #AusvNZ, but until THead and TPaine got togther today, there had only previously been one Australian century partnership - 128 between KStackpole and IChappell in 1973.
— Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) December 27, 2019
136th over: Australia 401-5 (Head 90, Paine 64) “It’s another pie” exclaims Ricky Ponting, after one delivery of Mitchell Santner’s over, with pain coursing through his commentary, like a restaurant critic enduring the world’s worst degustation. That pie went for four, by the way. Australia pass 400. #Declarationspeculation must be 4.30-5pm, right?
135th over: Australia 395-5 (Head 85, Paine 63) The hopelessness of the situation isn’t going to stop Neil Wagner from committing every ounce of energy to chucking bouncers at Australian batsmen. He does so again for the 32nd time this Test and after striking a glancing blow to Travis Head he concedes a few runs. Tim Paine now has his highest Test score as skipper.
This is splendid sh*tposting. Very subtle, bravo.
@JPHowcroft Adam Collins has put you down for a couple of tons, but I'd love to know whether there's ever been an instance of a declaration leaving a batter just shy of a milestone?
— 🔥🔥 ScoMo's Gotta Go 🔥🔥 (@Roscommon_Cat) December 27, 2019
But in case it needs pointing out...
134th over: Australia 391-5 (Head 83, Paine 62) Santner bowls, Australia score runs; get used to this for the next couple of hours. This match has lost all its vim and is unlikely to find it again until this pair turn on the afterburners and set a declaration target.
Now Adam’s taken his leave remember to retune your emails and tweets to the following addresses: @JPHowcroft and jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
Thank you very much Adam, my favourite trans-Tasman cricketing A Collins since AEJ Collins. Arthur Edward Jeune Collins, I’m sure you recall, held the record for the highest ever score for over a century. As a schoolboy in 1899 he smashed 628 not out. Hilariously, nobody else in the match passed 50. Although AEJ wasn’t a Kiwi himself, he was part of a cricketing lineage that extended to New Zealand and he is featured in the New Zealand Cricket Museum in Wellington. Tragically, he died aged only 29 during the first battle of Ypres.
133rd over: Australia 383-5 (Head 82, Paine 61) Wagner is back and Head backs himself to take on the short ball right away, uppercutting the first bouncer over the cordon for a boundary that moves him into the 80s and the partnership beyond 100. The quicker bumper comes later, which Head wisely ducks. Drinks! I’ll pass the baton to JP Howcroft, who can take you through to a couple of tons. Enjoy!
132nd over: Australia 383-5 (Head 76, Paine 61) Head once again gets off strike from the first ball of the over - good batting. They exchange a couple more through the field. I’ve said it before and will again: this is drifting. New Zealand have really blown the opportunity they earned for themselves earlier today. We’re already nearing the territory where only one team can realistically win the Test Match.
131st over: Australia 380-5 (Head 74, Paine 60) Santner gives Head a ball to push away for one to begin, the spinner then keeping Paine quiet until the final delivery, which he sweeps really well and fine enough for four more. Into the 60s he goes.
“Love four sessions for a day test,” tweets Dan Pollard in response to OB Jato’s idea. “Brilliant idea, especially in a hot Australian summer.”
130th over: Australia 375-5 (Head 73, Paine 56) That’s excellent batting from the captain, leaving CdG a couple of times, defending him with soft hands then leaping on the half-volley that arrives when striving for something more, cover driving for four. These two have put on 91. There’s no reason Australia won’t try to bat until late this afternoon, giving enough time for - I’ll say it again - a Paine ton.
129th over: Australia 371-5 (Head 73, Paine 52) Santer is bowling and doing so with a bit of enthusiasm, stopping a Head drive in his follow through. Warne and Waugh aren’t that interested on TV, discussing hats and haircuts and so on.
128th over: Australia 369-5 (Head 72, Paine 51) Head plays and misses a third time in three overs at CdG deliveries he would be far better served leaving alone. He keeps the strike with one to cover. The game might be drifting but this can’t be another of those days where the South Australian falls short of three figures.
127th over: Australia 368-5 (Head 71, Paine 51) Santner is back for his ninth over - or seventh spell, if you prefer. It’s not a bad one. All the same, it prompts a Warne/Waugh chat about bowlers who have lost their way on the biggest stage. Poor old Simon ‘Milo’ Kerrigan gets a mention. As does Glenn Trimble, who famously had a ‘mare on debut in 1986. A gift from me to you - the video.
126th over: Australia 367-5 (Head 70, Paine 51) Head is once again beaten by CdG, who is making him earn everything here en route to what might be his second Test ton. There remains no hurry for either of him - they have a big base now. He’s better to finish, pushing a quick single to mid-off. Positive calling and running.
OB Jato has a left-of-field idea for us to consider. “Following is an amended version of a proposal I had sent you earlier: we should play with the pink ball in all Test matches (it is a work in progress but good enough). We also take a fifteen-minutes break at the end of the third session, and return for a ‘fourth session’. The first three can be shorter in duration (24 overs each) to ensure the same amount of significant play happens in the fourth one, with the players recharged and at the top of their games more frequently than what a Test’s current format allows. The presence of this ‘fourth session’ will contribute to more dynamic passages of play tactics, especially under the lights, and also attract bigger crowds to the match after working hours. Thoughts?” I’ll open it up.
125th over: Australia 366-5 (Head 69, Paine 51) Southee changes it up to go around the wicket at Paine by the end of this over. “He’s a bit of a compulsive puller,” notes Mike Hussey of the Australian captain as he launches into that very stroke, smashing the bowler off the back foot with the horizontal bat to bring up his seventh Test half-century in just 72 balls. He’s batted wonderfully.
124th over: Australia 361-5 (Head 68, Paine 47) Blundell is off, de Grandhomme his replacement. As my man Dan Norcross - helming the BT Sport overnight coverage - notes, Blundell only bowled nine overs in First Class cricket before that spell. Why wouldn’t Williamson back himself in that situation? Anyway, it’s over now but let’s be happy it happened. CdG is right on it, prompting a waft from Head. He’s got to be leaving that alone - this is the de Grandhomme playbook: bore you senseless. He makes Paine play later in the over, finding his edge with one that shaped nicely away from the right-hander. Excellent return to the attack.
One of the great subplots of Test cricket is batsmen who seem to do it easy but never make hundreds. Head makes for very interesting viewing from here.
— Russell Jackson (@rustyjacko) December 27, 2019
123rd over: Australia 360-5 (Head 67, Paine 47) Four more for Paine when taking on Southee’s bumper, his hook landing just inside the rope before crossing it. A better stroke through covers follows, a couple more added. He’s positively fluent.
Speaking of the excellent MCG crowd, good areas from them here:
The New gentrification bay 13 booed along with the members at the G today during Mexican wave.
— Dylan Leach (@leachitup) December 27, 2019
122nd over: Australia 354-5 (Head 67, Paine 41) Tom, mate, don’t let me down. I’ve just talked you up. This is not a good over. There’s the half-tracker, the full toss. Another half-tracker. Very part-time. Head capitalises, carving four out past point.
121st over: Australia 348-5 (Head 62, Paine 40) Excellent innings this from Paine, just when the usual suspects are starting to vaguely agitate for Adam Gilchrist to return to the Test team. Sorry, I mean, Alex Carey to replace him asap. The skipper pulls Southee away for four to move into the 40s, getting into position nice and early. This might be his best chance for a Test ton since 2010 in India.
120th over: Australia 344-5 (Head 62, Paine 36) Blundell isn’t trash. The balls he gets up there on the dancefloor turn more than Santner’s have been. A bit like Raval in Perth, the part-timer might end up outbowling the main tweaker.
There are already 55,532 people in the MCG. Fantastic numbers. I wonder how many will be there on day two at Sydney next week? 20-something, I reckon.
119th over: Australia 343-5 (Head 62, Paine 35) Southee gets the first go from the Members’ End to start the session, keeping Paine honest on a solid line and length. A couple of times he finds the inside part of the bat, suggesting there’s still a little bit of movement to be found with this now 39-over old ball.
118th over: Australia 342-5 (Head 62, Paine 34) Blundell, barely walking to the crease for his first over in Test Match cricket, gives Head a gimme down the legside to move into the 60s. Thanks for coming. But he beats him with his next offering, turning it a long way past the edge. “You do not want to get out to someone like this,” insists Mike Hussey on the telly. Neither do here. Another one? I reckon so.
The players are back on the field. Tom Blundell is going to bowl the first over! Some offies. Unorthodox from Williamson. Head is on strike - he’s 57. PLAY!
If a podcast is more your vibe, Geoff Lemon and I had Mel Jones on for a long chat, across a great many topics, for our Final Word Christmas Special. Enjoy!
A lunch break read for you. About the great Johnny Mullagh.
Australia’s session. But it wasn’t necessarily trending that way into the second hour, the Black Caps giving up just 27 runs in the first stanza then picking up Smith shortly thereafter on 85. It was Wagner once again sorting him out with an excellent short ball, taking just as superbly by Nicholls with one hand in the gully. They earned the wicket and thus the chance to race through the home side’s lower order but Paine was having none of that, the captain putting the foot straight down to transfer the pressure back onto the tourists. With Head - who advanced his score from 25 overnight to 57 at the break - they have put on 52 in just 74 balls. They can now sit down to a sandwich knowing that 400 is well within their grasp.
LUNCH: Australia 336-5
117th over: Australia 336-5 (Head 57, Paine 33) Last over before lunch but that doesn’t dissuade Paine from going at a Santner half-tracker first up, pulling it away with ease. He looked good in the first dig at Perth and he’s very much on the money so far today. He goes again at the penultimate delivery, cutting hard from deep in the crease, once again running away to the rope. It beings up the 50 partnership between this pair from 73 balls. To finish the job for now the captain pulls a couple more, making 12 from the over - the most productive of the session.
116th over: Australia 324-5 (Head 57, Paine 21) Not a lot going on with Big Col, so Watling comes up to the stumps. After a very neat and disciplined first 80 minutes or so, New Zealand’s intensity has fallen away at just the wrong time.
115th over: Australia 322-5 (Head 56, Paine 20) Santner is back for his sixth spell. “In the 70s,” says Kerry O’Keeffe, “if you bowled seven overs in five spells it was because you had a hangover.” Very good. The spinner is under a bit of pressure, needing to find a way to get his name in the book far more often. That doesn’t happen here, three runs added when missing his length. Two overs until lunch.
114th over: Australia 319-5 (Head 55, Paine 18) It is nearing lunch but this is Australia’s most productive period of the session so they keep on keeping on, taking five runs from de Grandhomme without any risks to speak of. Good batting.
113th over: Australia 314-5 (Head 51, Paine 17) Wagner does go again - he’s unstoppable. Bharat Sundaresan, who watches closer than anyone in the press box, noted yesterday that he regularly goes back to his mark after the sixth ball not realising his over is done. He just wants to bowl all the time. Paine has shown real intent since walking out, pulling hard through square leg to the sweeper for one. Head keeps the strike with a single to cover. They’ve put on 30 in 50 balls. Solid.
Travis Head has 50. A job half done so far. "You've got to make sure that doesn't mean that much to you. The hundreds are the really big scores you have to make as a batsman," says Ponting on @7Cricket #AusvNZ
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) December 27, 2019
Head to 50!
112th over: Australia 312-5 (Head 50, Paine 16) Rewaded for his patience, Head moves to his eighth Test half-century to go with the ton he made at Canberra in February. He reaches the mark with a drive through cover off de Grandhomme, worth a couple. We said off the top that this is a big day in his story. “Is this the day that Travis Head said that I belong?” asks Kerry O’Keeffe, along those same lines.
111th over: Australia 310-5 (Head 48, Paine 16) That’ll be enough for Wagner for now I reckon, this his eighth over going for seven with Head driving three down the ground to begin then Paine getting on top of the bounce to steer a boundary behind point. But he’s still banging it in there to finish. Another fine spell.
110th over: Australia 303-5 (Head 45, Paine 12) Boult replaced by de Grandhomme for his first trundle today, on to restrict the runs with his accurate medium pace. Head is off strike first up with one to point, Paine defending and leaving the rest.
109th over: Australia 302-5 (Head 44, Paine 12) Paine deals well with the Wagner interrogation, ducking and weaving as required but also looking to pull. How long can he keep going in this spell? He’s been on for seven overs on the bounce.
108th over: Australia 302-5 (Head 44, Paine 12) Paine on the counterattack, hammering Boult through cover with a picture-perfect cover drive. “Shot of the day,” says Warne on the telly before they quickly return to talking about Alex Carey. The skipper is into double figures two balls later with a delightful clip. A ropey wide one to finish and Head obliges, throwing his hands at a cut. He doesn’t control the stroke, through the air just the fielder, but it completes the biggest over of the day - worth 11, taking Australia beyond 300. The replay shows that Santner nearly got a hand to it at point. Now back to the main game: Neil Wagner.
107th over: Australia 291-5 (Head 40, Paine 5) Wagner is right in this game, beating Paine again with a short ball that fizzes past the outside edge. Superb bowling. He pulled him well to start the over, picking up three to boost the confidence, but the thing about Wagner is he never allows a new batsman to settle. 40 minutes until lunch, so, about eight overs. The most important mini-session of the Test so far.
106th over: Australia 286-5 (Head 39, Paine 1) Boult’s picked up his pace after the wicket, sensing an opportunity against the new man Paine, beating him with one that cuts across the right hander from over the wicket. He’s off the mark with a push to point from the next ball, albeit after some nervous running. Head’s turn and he cops a biting bouncer, playing it well with soft hands with the ball reaching him with both feet off the ground. Boult’s best over today by a long way.
105th over: Australia 284-5 (Head 38, Paine 0) Paine walks out with plenty to do for Australia if they are to push this score up towards 400. But forget about that, New Zealand have a chance to run through the lower order with the indefatigable Wagner going and going and going. Sure enough, he beats Paine first ball, the captain wafting nervously at one well outside the off stump. The Kiwi crowd love this bloke, giving him a mighty ovation at the end of the successful over.
Henry Nicholls holds onto it just by his fingertips! #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/BK5TGfk9RL
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 27, 2019
WICKET! Smith c Nicholls b Wagner 85 (Australia 284-5)
Smith falls to Wagner’s short ball again! A fantastic short ball too, finding the shoulder of the bat. Nicholls had plenty of work to do at gully, pulling the catch in with one outstretched hand. Excellent, patient cricket from the Black Caps.
104th over: Australia 284-4 (Smith 85, Head 38) Boult is up and about with an lbw appeal to finish his over, cutting back at Head and beating his inside edge. But they elect not to review, the ball looking to go well over the top. Until that point, Smith was on strike and handling the attack without any concerns. That’s drinks. Australia made 27 runs in the hour across 14 patient overs. No hurry here.
103rd over: Australia 283-4 (Smith 84, Head 38) Oi! Wagner’s quicker bumper nearly whacks Head this time, anging from around the wicket at the left-hander. That’s the lenth. More smiles from Wagner and the Australians. He changes it up with the slower ball bouncer, which Head deflects down to Latham at bat pad. They’re giving them nothing in the field. The end of another probing over.
102nd over: Australia 281-4 (Smith 84, Head 36) Boult is swung around to the Great Southern Stand End and Head immediately enjoys getting stuck into a shorter ball outside the off stump, crashed away to the point rope. When on song, Head is probably the best cutter in Australia. He has a big chance today.
Wagner nails the bouncer - and Smith nearly catches himself! #AUSvNZ | https://t.co/Q5Lvt45rWO pic.twitter.com/qmyVIFdGyN
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 27, 2019
101st over: Australia 276-4 (Smith 84, Head 31) Australia were 292/4 after 100 overs in Perth, the TV tells me. New Zealand did better than the scorecard looked there, never coughing up more than 80 runs in a session - the problem was it too them five sessions to take ten wickets. Wagner is right on Head’s body with his first ball here, the left-hander able to deflect it tidily behind square for one. Over the wicket to Smith, he’s absolutely spot on with consecutive bouncers, the right-hander leaving both to go just over his helmet. After the second, Smith winks at Wagner. I like that a lot. He then hits Smith with his final delivery, the batsman trying to duck for a third time but it is too full so he’s clobbered on his front arm before the ball lands in his right glove! More smiles between the two. Top contest.
100th over: Australia 275-4 (Smith 84, Head 30) Southee misdirects his first to Smith here, called a wide. He finds his groove thereafter, working the angle across the right haner from around the wicket from a variety of lengths, giving him nothing to score off. Australia have added 18 runs in ten overs so far today.
99th over: Australia 274-4 (Smith 84, Head 30) Smith isn’t bothered by Wagner in their first exchanges of the day, taking a good look before flicking one off the hip. Head continues to use his bat against the short stuff, getting behind two lifters.
98th over: Australia 273-4 (Smith 83, Head 30) Southee around the wicket to Smith, backing in the Wagner attack from the other end. He flicks one to backward square before Head drives the last three balls to fielders in front of the wicket. I said off the top that New Zealand have a window this morning but it won’t be open for much longer. They have to stay the course at Smith.
97th over: Australia 272-4 (Smith 82, Head 30) Time for Wagner, and you know what that means. His first short one at Head wasn’t on target but the next couple were, aimed right in that difficult spot just below the shoulder. Head’s electing to play by default, jumping in line to defend with soft hands a couple of times. It’s that or the Matt Wade approach of wearing them on the body.
96th over: Australia 272-4 (Smith 82, Head 30) Not much for Southee so far this morning, Head getting well on top of an impotent short ball, pulling it away for three. He’s better to Smith, squaring him up with a good’un.
95th over: Australia 269-4 (Smith 82, Head 27) A better over from Boult, finding the outside portion of Smith’s bat early in the over before cutting him in half from around the wicket to finish with one that did plenty. Ian Smith on TV is lamenting Santner’s lack of penetration yesterday, only called upon for seven overs of spin.
94th over: Australia 267-4 (Smith 81, Head 27) So close to some luck for New Zealand! Smith’s straight drive clips Southee’s fingers in his follow through, deflecting back onto Head’s stumps. They go upstairs to check it out but he’s back into his ground in the nick of time. On strike later in the over, the left-hander is unlucky not to add a boundary to the score, the athletic Southee again in the act in his follow through, stopping a well-struck drive with one hand.
To whoever said that old-fashioned Test cricket with batsmen & bowlers testing each other’s patience has no place in today’s world. To whoever felt the @BLACKCAPS can’t pull in Test crowds. This is just a taste of the manic rush to get into the @MCG on Day Two #AUSvNZ @cricbuzz pic.twitter.com/gehg7S5mAu
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) December 26, 2019
93rd over: Australia 266-4 (Smith 80, Head 27) “You can never judge a pitch until both sides have batted on it,” insists Warne when Boult’s bumper leaps at Head two balls after a length delivery bounces before reaching the ‘keeper. Might be that kind of day. Defending off the back foot later in the over, the South Australia times it so well he gets two past the bowler - his first runs of the day. That’s the 50 partnership between the pair, brought up in 115 balls together.
92nd over: Australia 264-4 (Smith 80, Head 25) Whoa, four byes to start Southee’s morning from the Great Southern Stand End, a delivery that drifted down leg and kept swinging after passing Smith, beyond the diving left glove of Watling. When using his bat, Smith picks out the fielder at cover a couple of times. There’s a catcher now in at very straight and close midwicket, but he isn’t required here. The TV calls reminds us that Southee has never dismissed Smith in a Test.
91st over: Australia 260-4 (Smith 80, Head 25) Easy peasy, Smith into the 80s from the first ball of the day, steering a long half-volley through cover for three. It requires an athletic dive from Williamson on the rope, pulling up awkwardly after pulling the ball back in. By contrast, Head cops a beauty to begin, a bumper that follows his swaying helmet, the left-hander just getting his head out of the way. The visiting supporters love it. As the Test progresses, the percentage of New Zealand fans is likely to grow given they will surely be in for the full five days. The vice captain is making solid contact by the end of the over. Good re-start.
“Happy belated Christmas.” And to you, Ruth Purdue. “I for one can’t wait to see Cummins and Pattinson on this.”
Yes - that’s a tasty proposition later today. To think he’s had to wait eight years for a second home Test Match. They love him in Melbourne, make no mistake.
Updated
The players are on the field! Boult has the ball in his hand for the first over of this second day, ready to race in from the MCC End. Smith is on strike. He’s counting the fielders, preparing to resume his innings on 77. PLAY!
“Morning Adam.” Hello, Andrew James. “Is it perhaps finally time for us armchair experts to take over as groundsman of the MCG? The recent Shield match clearly went too far, and now it appears to have swung back the other way. And will today see the famous Black Cap Bad Luck™ finally give them a few wickets in return for yesterday’s abject run? Unlikely when Smith is still at the crease, you’d think.”
Close watchers, I felt, were willing to give the MCG curator a bit of breathing space after the shambolic Shield round earlier this month. Sure, there was nothing good about the cancellation of that game - no excusing it. But you could see what he was trying to do, finding a way to prepare a lively Test track for the first time at the MCG since, gosh, 2010? That’s harder than it looks with the old drop-in technology he has inherited for the time being, which I don’t pretend to understand.
Secondary point: isn’t it great that we are the only country in the cricket world (as far as I’m ware) that calls their chief groundman a ‘curator’? Nothing better/sillier than the annual press conference we do with Damien Hough, the main man at Adelaide Oval, before the Test there. We’re a country of amatuer horticulturalists.
Kevin Roberts has just held a press conference. He was pumping the volume up on the day one success with over 80,000 in the MCG. That made it the eighth highest attendance ever at a day of Test cricket in Australia. Long story short: don’t expect New Zealand to wait 32 years for their next Boxing Day appearance.
In case you missed it, an eventful day at Centurion. The first of the South Africa v England series, four Tests coming up between them over the next four weeks.
Dave Warner was on SEN radio ahead of play this morning.
LISTEN | "It's almost like an English wicket"
— SEN 1116 (@1116sen) December 26, 2019
David Warner discusses the pitch at the MCG, Steve Smith's form, his hand and more
=====> https://t.co/EaBwSbEhJg #AUSvNZ
Welcome to day two!
Some innings are bigger than others. For Travis Head, this really is one of those hits. Despite his impressive 2019 numbers, it’s clear the South Australian sits lowest on the Australian top six pecking order. A big ton on this big stage could change that in a real hurry. Getting a start during a tough period last night, now’s the moment for him to come back to the MCG - on what will most likely be the best day to bat during the contest - and fill his boots alongside Steve Smith.
For the former captain, he has 23 runs to collect in order to clock his fifth Boxing Day Test ton. He spent the majority of day one in the middle, facing 192 balls along the way. So far, it has been a long way from his most fluent hand in the green helmet but that means nothing to a machine like Smith. Indeed, it is the least pretty tons that he values highest - take his gems at Pune and Brisbane in 2017.
As for the visitors, they get a window this morning with a second new ball that’s still relatively hard. But it won’t be open for long. The pitch, which had so much in it on the opening morning, was really flattening out by the close yesterday. They need to be well into Australia’s lower order by drinks this morning. Don’t doubt for a moment them coming out hard with a predominantly short-pitched barrage.
Thanks for joining our day two coverage. Along with JP Howcroft, we’re looking forward to your company throughout. You know the drill: drop me a line. To begin, did we all see this new report? A fair bit going on here. Interesting.
