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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Adam Collins (earlier) and Jonathan Howcroft (later)

Australia v New Zealand: third Test, day three – as it happened

David Warner
David Warner did not find batting easy late on day three of the third Test at the SCG. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Here’s your daily report from the SCG.

Close on day 3: Australia 40-0 (lead by 243)

Australia reasserted their authority over the third Test on day three at the SCG. Nathan Lyon was the star, spinning his way to five wickets against a New Zealand batting order that contrived to lose wickets.

A long slow day (one ending four overs shy of the required allotment despite lasting an extra half-hour) was made testing because this SCG pitch has all-but died. There is no bounce on offer to the pace bowlers, even with the new ball, and the game is increasingly a war of attrition.

Australia are now the only side that can win, but they will want to give themselves plenty of time to bowl New Zealand out for a second time on such a docile surface. To find out if they can chip away at the Black Caps tomorrow, join me and Adam Collins right here.

SCG
The SCG enjoyed a spin bowling masterclass from Nathan Lyon on day three of the third Test. Photograph: Jeremy Ng/AFP via Getty Images

Updated

16th over: Australia 40-0 (Warner 23, Burns 16) It might be the fag end of a long old day but Neil Wagner isn’t giving anything away. He strains every sinew to chase down a lovely late cut from Warner, turning a certain four into a memorable three. Both teams do their best to waste time and ensure this is the final over the day. Umpire Erasmus is in no hurry either, and his dawdling confirms the close of play. Not a great sight for supposedly the pinnacle of the sport, especially considering the day was four overs short of a full complement of overs. Ah, cricket.

15th over: Australia 37-0 (Warner 20, Burns 16) Wagner bowls a maiden to Burns with the batsman unlucky not to pierce the field with some crisp strokes to largely line and length deliveries. The solitary bumper strikes the batsman on his back but umpire Erasmus - harshly in my opinion - signals dead ball, after two leg-byes had been jogged.

14th over: Australia 37-0 (Warner 20, Burns 16) This long, slow, hazy day is dribbling to a close. Somerville’s latest over takes an age with fielding changes and further attention being paid to the stricken Blundell dragging proceedings out. Both batsmen nurdle singles as the crowd streams away from the SCG.

13th over: Australia 35-0 (Warner 19, Burns 15) After a couple of overs of tease Wagner goes back to his bodyline-lite approach. It almost pays dividends immediately when Warner fails to connect with a glance off his hip, but once the strike is rotated it’s back to line and length, which Burns handles with aplomb.

The New Zealand physio - who has been overworked all tour - is out again. Tom Blundell looks to have done himself a mischief fielding, possibly throwing his shoulder out of kilter, and Wagner is having some attention paid to his knee.

12th over: Australia 34-0 (Warner 18, Burns 15) More dodgy calling, and again Burns is diving full stretch to make his ground! This time it was a good decision to reject a second run after first turning and setting off for the other end. Following those scrapes he’s uncomfortable on strike, inside-edging onto his pad then missing a sweep, but both instances end with Somerville looking forlorn.

11th over: Australia 33-0 (Warner 17, Burns 15) As expected, Wagner is back on immediately, and he settles into a conventional line and length to Burns from around the wicket. After an edgy start to the over Burns finds his timing and drives square through the off-side for three. Wagner moves over the wicket to Warner and hits the bat hard with his heavy ball, forcing the batsman to remove his bottom hand and shake it loose. Perhaps distracted by numb fingers Warner then tips and runs for a very tight single that invited calamity for his partner but the required direct hit did not materialise.

10th over: Australia 29-0 (Warner 16, Burns 12) Just the one over from Wagner (presumably he will switch ends) meaning Will Somerville comes into the attack for the first look at spin this innings. Burns allows him to get away with a couple of half-track looseners before finally whipping off his hip to rotate the strike. Warner tries to move his feet to engineer some runs but the angle into him from Somerville keeps things tight.

9th over: Australia 28-0 (Warner 16, Burns 11) Better from Henry, finding a probing line and length from around the wicket to Warner, and slipping in a skiddy bouncer for good measure that forced the batsman into evasive action. Maiden.

8th over: Australia 28-0 (Warner 16, Burns 11) First look at Wagner for the innings, and it will be fascinating to see how he attacks on this dead deck. Poorly, is the answer, at least to begin with. He opens on a regulation length and Warner trusts his eye to hit through the line for two then four, then one through the off-side. No bouncers whatsoever.

Australia’s pitch doctoring to combat New Zealand’s strike weapon looks to have done the trick.

Sorry - don’t rise to my bait.

7th over: Australia 21-0 (Warner 9, Burns 11) Henry pulls his length back this over, and not to good effect. The genuine bouncer does not get up at all, but the wide long-hop does - and Burns slaps it through point for four.

Hi Dan, presuming we’re talking about this NZ line-up against this Australian attack, with the surface still to deteriorate over the next 24 hours... I’d put 175 around evens, anything over 200 in Australia’s favour, and anything over 250 practically out of the question.

Australia’s pace attack has too much control and Nathan Lyon is a proven wicket-taker in these conditions. That combination means by day five there’s enough deliveries with a batsman’s name on it, without enough run-scoring opportunities to put the pressure back on the fielding team.

Now, give me India in a similar situation right now and I’d probably add 50 or so to each of those brackets.

6th over: Australia 15-0 (Warner 8, Burns 6) CdG also finds that full length, allowing Warner to throw his hands at the ball without fear and collect two through extra cover. The remainder of the over, like so many passages of play to come, is pretty tepid with the 120kph bowler making run scoring awkward on this lifeless deck.

5th over: Australia 13-0 (Warner 6, Burns 6) The hittable length on this pitch now is very small and very full, and that’s where Henry lands to Burns, inviting a drive in the V that the Australian opener executes to perfection.

4th over: Australia 9-0 (Warner 6, Burns 2) Maiden from CdG to Warner with the Australian unprepared to take unnecessary risks on a pitch proving increasingly difficult to trust.

3rd over: Australia 9-0 (Warner 6, Burns 2) Warner’s in busy, hard-running mode, tipping and running against Henry to keep the game moving. The ball is barely bouncing out in the middle though, making scoring runs a heck of a challenge.

2nd over: Australia 8-0 (Warner 5, Burns 2) Colin de Grandhomme shares the new ball for New Zealand and after Warner gets off the mark with a couple through the covers he does well to jam his bat down on a delivery that barely bounces. Warner quickly puts that scare to the back of his mind and clips three more runs wide of mid-on, allowing Burns on strike. The Queenslander also opens his account with a couple through point before he suffers his own pea-shooter, luckily for him, outside off stump.

1st over: Australia 1-0 (Warner 0, Burns 0) Nice start from Henry. He raps Warner on the pads with one that cuts in from around the wicket, then forces him to take evasive action with a sharp bouncer.

Ok, the players are back out. 70 minutes of play left in the day. A big hour ahead for Joe Burns.

That’s Nathan Lyon’s 17th five-for. He now has five-wicket hauls against every Test side he has faced.

New Zealand 251 all out

Unsurprisingly, Australia have not enforced the follow-on.

Nathan Lyon
Nathan Lyon picked up five wickets for Australia on day three at the SCG. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

WICKET! Henry st Paine 3 (New Zealand 251)

Lyon has his five-for! Henry looked composed at the crease despite his broken thumb but succumbs to some smart keeping from Tim Paine. The New Zealander took a stride forward to play a defensive stroke but the ball just rolled off the face of the bat, straight to Paine, who snaffled it quickly and whipped off the bails with the batsman still sliding his way down the pitch with his forward press, a cm or two outside his ground.

Updated

95th over: New Zealand 249-9 (Astle 25, Henry 1) Starc continues to direct his deliveries towards Henry’s gloves but the tailender does well to get out of the way or block with his bat for four deliveries then pinches a leg-bye from the fifth. Astle then takes over, stepping to leg and swatting a four over long off like Chris Lynn in prime form.

Kennedy poses an interesting question by email. Could this be allowed under ICC playing regulations? “Question for the seasoned OBOers. Is anyone allowed to be a sub fielder? Could they auction an over of sub fielding out to who ever donates the most to the McGrath foundation?”

94th over: New Zealand 244-9 (Astle 21, Henry 1) Astle has to take command now and he states his intention with a second ball four, lofting Lyon back over his head. He accepts a single from the proceeding delivery, handing Henry three balls to repel - which he does - and even (perhaps stupidly) runs a single from the last of the over to retain the strike.

93rd over: New Zealand 238-9 (Astle 16, Henry 0) Matt Henry, broken thumb and all, is out in the middle to join Todd Astle, and a compassionless Mitchell Starc targets the gloves from the off. Henry survives, just.

Nathan Lyon now has 384 Tests wickets, that’s one more than Ian Botham.

WICKET! Wagner b Lyon 0 (New Zealand 237-9)

Yeah, about Nathan Lyon...

Neil Wagner is happy to dot one delivery, but not two. A massive heave across the line fails to connect with any leather and a stock delivery from around the wicket gently bumps into middle stump. Awful, awful batting.

WICKET! Somerville b Lyon 0 (New Zealand 237-8)

Speaking of Nathan Lyon...

It takes just four deliveries with the new ball for the GOAT to bag his third wicket. There’s precious little turn on offer with the hard Kookaburra but Somerville continues to play for it, fishing outside off for a while before Lyon adjusts his approach, straightens, and knocks back off stump.

91st over: New Zealand 237-7 (Astle 15, Somerville 0) Pattinson rolls his ankle a fraction during his over to Astle, and replays show the landing area for the fast bowler’s front foot is very uneven indeed. Two from the over as New Zealand regroup and Australia plug away, waiting for Lyon to spin some more magic.

90th over: New Zealand 235-7 (Astle 13, Somerville 0) Astle and Somerville are far from the poorest nos. 8 & 9 you’ll find at Test level. The former has look assured for 50 balls already, the latter safely negotiates a Cummins maiden on a ground he knows well from his NSW days. This pitch is becoming a dead parrot sketch, so much so Cummins jokes that Tim Paine should put on a helmet and stand up to the stumps.

89th over: New Zealand 235-7 (Astle 13, Somerville 0) Pattinson replaces Starc for his first blast with the sort-of new ball, and he bowls a very sub-scontinental maiden, hitting good lines and lengths only to watch the ball pitch and die.

88th over: New Zealand 235-7 (Astle 13, Somerville 0) That was a terrific duel. Phillips rode his luck but showed he has the skill and temperament to prosper at Test level. Cummins demonstrated why he is the no.1 bowler in the world right now; relentless.

Amen, Mango.

WICKET! Phillips b Cummins 52 (New Zealand 235-7)

The third ball of the innings goes the way of the second, into the midwicket boundary. Cummins has had no success with his short ball to Phillips and he gets the treatment again. The controlled swivel and wristy pull - fast becoming Phillips’ trademark - brings up a debut 50.

And then he’s out.

Line and length from Cummins, some nip back into the right-hander, through the gate, and it’s all over red rover.

Australia’s insistence their second ball of the innings is flawed has paid dividends. A handsome NSW branded timber case has been brought out to allow umpire Erasmus to select a replacement.

87th over: New Zealand 231-6 (Phillips 48, Astle 13) A much better short ball from Starc forces Phillips into an ungainly shot, but one he still manages to roll his wrists over. Otherwise it’s another over that demonstrates how this surface offers few demons with the pacemen operating with the new ball. It’s all bit sub-continental, what with the hazy outlook and the fielding side waiting for some reverse swing or the return of Nathan Lyon.

86th over: New Zealand 229-6 (Phillips 47, Astle 12) The wind has picked up at the SCG, bringing with it an ominous gloom. That heavy atmosphere is reflected on-field where the dead pitch is leading to some attritional cricket.

85th over: New Zealand 227-6 (Phillips 46, Astle 11) New Zealand dab a couple of singles from Starc’s latest over. Not much happening with this new ball either in the air or off the pitch.

Channel Seven has coded the previous two overs before James Pattinson’s no-ball dismissal of Glenn Phillips, and guess what - five uncalled no-balls! As soon as the no-ball was called Pattinson corrected immediately. How can this be allowed to continue? What a mess the ICC have created for themselves.

Updated

84th over: New Zealand 225-6 (Phillips 45, Astle 10) Blimey! Phillips goes back to his pull shot after almost perishing with it before tea, and this time he hammers it high over square leg for six! Pat Cummins is not often dismissed like that, but Phillips looked like vintage Ricky Ponting executing that stroke. That was the only scoring shot in an otherwise exemplary Cummins over. The short ball is no longer the bowler’s friend on this dead SCG track.

83rd over: New Zealand 219-6 (Phillips 39, Astle 10) “Good cricket all round” says Ricky Ponting as play begins after tea with a nicely pitched in-swinger from Starc, met with a solid forward defensive stroke by Glenn Phillips. Starc attempts a similar delivery next ball but Phillips presents the full face of the bat to send a checked drive back past the non-striker for four. Four more from the next delivery, but with far less control. Starc this time catching the outside edge but the ball scoots through gully along the ground. And that prompts Starc to hand the ball to Aleem Dar to have it scrutinised! Is that a record? Three deliveries into a new ball and it’s already being put through the handcuffs to check it’s adequately spherical.

The floodlights are starting to take effect at the SCG. It’s a murky afternoon in Sydney with the smoke haze from the south and west starting to drift towards the eastern suburbs.

Australia have taken the new ball. Mitchell Starc will have first use immediately after tea.

There are 36 overs left to be bowled in the day, so we’re likely to be playing through the extra half-hour allotted for teams for whom six hours isn’t enough to send down 90 overs. But yeah, let’s push for four-day Tests.

Tea - New Zealand 210-6

Australia are in control of the third Test now after New Zealand disappointed during the afternoon session, losing three wickets, two in needless fashion. However, the home side still requires 14 more wickets to celebrate victory, a task that looks to be a grind on an SCG pitch that is dying by the hour.

Colin de Grandhomme
Colin de Grandhomme leaves the field after he was run out on day three of the third Test at the SCG. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

82nd over: New Zealand 210-6 (Phillips 30, Astle 10) Still no new ball with Labuschagne given another over, and he almost jags a wicket with a beautiful leg-spinner that catches the outside edge of Astle’s bat but squirts safely into the off-side. The inconsistency of the part-time option is then on display with a loose delivery down the leg-side helped on its way by Astle for four.

81st over: New Zealand 206-6 (Phillips 30, Astle 6) Australia persist with the old ball, for now, handing Nathan Lyon his 28th over. Todd Astle responds by skipping down the track and dumping a four straight back over the bowler’s head.

80th over: New Zealand 201-6 (Phillips 30, Astle 1) Labuschagne gets another dart, in what may well be the final over with this ball. New Zealand negotiate it safely. All eyes on Aleem Dar - will he raise a shiny new Kookaburra over his head?

79th over: New Zealand 199-6 (Phillips 29, Astle 0) Pattinson only has himself to blame, but it will be interesting to follow the TV coverage and see if they identify a pattern of overstepping that was not called by the on-field umpires. Phillips, on debut as a consequence of the flu ravaging the New Zealand dressing room, has now been dropped twice and caught off a no-ball.

Massive let-off for Phillips, but what on earth are New Zealand thinking? With three men out on the leg-side boundary he tries to pull James Pattinson on a surface with untrustworthy bounce and can only send the ball straight to Travis Head on the midwicket fence. But he is reprieved when replays show Pattinson has overstepped by a couple of millimetres. Another Test, another batsman called back after the fact. The ICC has got to get a handle on this.

78th over: New Zealand 197-6 (Phillips 28, Astle 0) Starc returns after that solitary and successful Labuschagne over to try and mop up the tail with the reverse-swinging old ball. He doesn’t strike immediately but the low bounce worries New Zealand twice. On the first occasion he hits Phillips in his midriff with a bouncer that fails to get up, then he has Astle jamming down on a ball that threatened to grubber its way into his stumps.

Updated

77th over: New Zealand 195-6 (Phillips 27, Astle 0) Replays of that run out just made de Grandhomme’s performance even more infuriating. He jogged the first run, took an age to set off for the second, and had plenty of time to abort the mission. Meanwhile Pattinson sends down a maiden to Phillips. The feisty quick hasn’t been at his best this match and again his line and length isn’t a patch on the high standard set by Pat Cummins.

76th over: New Zealand 195-6 (Phillips 27, Astle 0) Labuschagne bowled nicely but that over was all about CdG’s brain fade. The NZ management must be tearing their hair out.

WICKET! de Grandhomme run out (Wade) 20 (New Zealand 195-6)

Good grief. Colin de Grandhomme, what are you doing? A brisk but ultimately inconsequential innings comes to an end in desperate fashion. After driving new bowler Marnus Labuschagne into the outfield de Grandhomme turns for a suicidal second and perishes. Matthew Wade was on the ball at midwicket in a flash and his throw was in Tim Paine’s hands soon enough to flick the bails off and send the last recognised Kiwi batsman packing. That was dreadful cricket from New Zealand.

Updated

75th over: New Zealand 194-5 (Phillips 27, de Grandhomme 19) CdG continues to keep the scoreboard moving. Pattinson drops short and offers a smidgen of width that de Grandhomme accepts to cut smartly behind point for four. He is a big powerful lad the Harare-born right-hander. With bat in hand he makes the massive modern blades look like the toothpicks of old.

74th over: New Zealand 189-5 (Phillips 27, de Grandhomme 14) CdG continues to live dangerously. An easy single is on offer from a Lyon long-hop but the big allrounder goes for a big lofted flip and almost sends it down Travis Head’s throat at long leg. He escapes with a single, allowing Phillips to show him how it’s done, first capitalising on length with a neat straight drive, then rocking back and punishing the overcorrection through midwicket for consecutive boundaries.

73rd over: New Zealand 180-5 (Phillips 19, de Grandhomme 13) Pattinson replaces Starc and his first delivery is right in the slot for CdG who shows the class he possesses with bat in hand, leaning into a thumping cover drive. He collects four more the following delivery with a fine tickle off his pads after Pattinson leaked down the leg-side.

72nd over: New Zealand 171-5 (Phillips 19, de Grandhomme 4) Another drop from Nathan Lyon off his own bowling! Perhaps his injured right thumb from his earlier drop forced him to go for this effort with just his left hand instead of both? Either way, that’s a let-off for Phillips who failed to punish a rare full toss.

71st over: New Zealand 169-5 (Phillips 17, de Grandhomme 4) What was that about cavalier Colin? With leaden feet he swings his blade at Starc with the ball on the up and he’s lucky to watch a sliced drive fly a metre or two wide of a diving Wade at cover. I’m in favour of a counterattack to push the onus back on the bowlers, but shots like that are an accident waiting to happen.

70th over: New Zealand 167-5 (Phillips 17, de Grandhomme 2) Lyon looks like taking a wicket most deliveries. His ability to land the ball in the right areas consistently and exploit the natural variation is glorious to watch. New Zealand play him well this over, both batsmen rotating the strike and looking to capitalise on anything too full or too wide. CdG owes his team a decent performance with the bat, he’s looked a touch too cavalier this series.

There’s still a little spark left in New Zealand cricket...

Thank you very much Adam.

Remember to retune your emails and tweets to the following addresses: @JPHowcroft and jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.

69th over: New Zealand 164-5 (Phillips 15, de Grandhomme 1) The field is set up for the short ball at de Grandhomme - it’s only a matter of time before Starc has a pop at it. Around the wicket, he’s angling in at the stumps to begin. There’s nothing easy about this, another delivery keeping a fraction low. Now he has a flash at one well outside the off-stump, failing to make contact. Leave that alone, Col. Two balls to come, surely he goes short? Not yet - this is the yorker, a leading edge ending up at cover and getting him off the mark. So close. Phillips deals with the final ball, taking them to DRINKS. With this day and match at halfway, I’ll handover to JP Howcroft to steer you through from here. I’ll be back on the OBO tomorrow from Cape Town and then with you at Sydney after that. Bye!

SCG
The SCG turned pink on day three of the third Test against New Zealand. Photograph: Jeremy Ng/AFP via Getty Images

68th over: New Zealand 163-5 (Phillips 15, de Grandhomme 0) Lyon to Phillips with four men around the bat in a box field. Sure enough, they have plenty to say too with the Black Caps at risk of folding here. There’s a bit of variable bounce out of those footmarks now as well, one keeping low from the rough. A maiden it is.

67th over: New Zealand 163-5 (Phillips 15, de Grandhomme 0) de Grandhomme keeps out a full one to finish. Starc was on after another excellent Cummins spell. There is no respite with these Aussie quicks at the moment. A lot has been said about Labuschagne’s golden summer but I can’t think of a season where a group of fast bowlers have been as good as this, complemented so well by Lyon.

Updated

WICKET! Watling b Starc 9 (New Zealand 163-5)

Chops on a wide one. Ugly. It takes Starc only five balls in this new spell to strike.

66th over: New Zealand 162-4 (Phillips 14, Watling 9)“This is Glenn Phillips’ biggest challenge,” Brendon McCullum says of facing the relentless Nathan Lyon. He does it well through this over, defending well and collecting a single to finish.

65th over: New Zealand 161-4 (Phillips 13, Watling 9) Cummins gives Watling another bumper before this over is done, ducked this time. A good decision.


NOT OUT! Clearly off the arm guard, not the glove. Australia are out of reviews.

IS WATLING CAUGHT AT SHORT LEG? Cummins had him in all sorts of bother with a bumper, taken by Wade. It is given not out on the field so Paine sends it up to the DRS for a second look. They are very confident, but so is Watling.

64th over: New Zealand 160-4 (Phillips 12, Watling 9) That’s the shot of the session so far from Watling, getting a big stride in at Lyon before stroking him with fantastic timing out to the boundary in front of the Bill O’Reilly Stand. On radio, they report that it is very smokey now at the SCG. The suggestion is that it’ll get worse in the final session, which might then force the players off the field.

63rd over: New Zealand 156-4 (Phillips 12, Watling 5) A compact drive from Watling off Cummins, down to long-off for three from an attempted yorker that arrived on the full. Phillips gets himself in a tangle against a shorter ball around shoulder height, fortunate not to pop it into Paine’s gloves down the legside.

I’m getting in way too early here but centuries on debut is something I have a strong interest in; 11 New Zealand men have achieved it, the most recent Tom Blundell in 2017. Of course, Matthew Sinclair made his a double the in the final Test Match of 1999. Some other fun names, including cult hero Mark Greatbatch!

62nd over: New Zealand 153-4 (Phillips 12, Watling 2) Nice shot from Phillips to move into double figures, pulling Lyon out to the midwicket rope. It wasn’t that short but he made it look like it with fast feet and hands. Lyon bounces straight back with one that grips out of the rough and finds the newcomer’s inside edge - Labuschagne looked in the game at silly point but it didn’t go to hand.

61st over: New Zealand 149-4 (Phillips 8, Watling 2) Phillips does well to get out of the Cummins frying pan first ball of the new over, carefully placing a short ball behind square. Since that chance he returned to Lyon before lunch, he’s looked okay. Watling is meditative, defending the rest. He can bat time, we know that.

60th over: New Zealand 148-4 (Phillips 7, Watling 2) Watling then Phillips start the over with a single each into the offside from Lyon, the former happy to defend the rest. He’s a handful here with these big footmarks to aim at. Lyon has never picked up a five-wicket bag at the SCG - this is a fantastic opportunity to correct that.

59th over: New Zealand 146-4 (Phillips 6, Watling 1) Nothing easy about this for Phillips with Cummins, slamming into the channel outside the off-stump, giving him nothing. He’s faced 31 balls for his six so far, which is fine, of course. Maiden.

58th over: New Zealand 146-4 (Phillips 6, Watling 1) Four catchers around the bat for Lyon, boxing Watling in. I’m pleased to see a silly point in place; doesn’t get given one anywhere near enough for mine. He’s landing in those two patches of rough throughout the over, Watling getting through the early interrogation.

57th over: New Zealand 146-4 (Phillips 6, Watling 1) The new man is off the mark first ball with a clip to midwicket. After jagging the wicket-taking delivery back at Taylor, the classy Cummins is shaping away from Phillips now before finishing with an quick bouncer. He’s starting 2020 as he finished 2019 - the best there is.

WICKET! Taylor lbw b Cummins 22 (New Zealand 145-4)

No reprieve, umpire’s call on impact and very much hitting middle! Cummins got it done with his first ball after the break, past the inside edge after doing just enough. Beautifully bowled on a track is giving plenty to bowlers hitting the seam.

HAS CUMMINS TRAPPED TAYLOR LBW? Aleem Dar thinks so, raising his finger. Taylor takes his time but ultimately elects to review. Let’s go to the DRS!

56th over: New Zealand 145-3 (Taylor 22, Phillips 6) Phillips gets the first runs of the session, three of them, driven down to long off. Nicely played. Taylor gets a single too, whipping confidently into the legside, playing with the spin.

The players are back on the field. James Pattinson sprints out chasing the TV drone camera - gotta love him. Aleem Dar is running too! From one side of the wicket to the other at square leg so play can continue and the crowd love it. Lyon will start off with the ball, from the Paddington End; Phillips is on strike. PLAY!

LUNCH: New Zealand 141-3

Nathan Lyon is speaking to TV. He hasn’t got anything to say, as is the custom with these interviews at the intervals. I have no idea why they bother.

With three wickets - two of those falling with the score on 117 - Australia take the honours for the morning session. It looked like New Zealand were going to make it to lunch one down but Raval, who was in great touch, missed Lyon’s straight before Latham inexplicably pushed a catch off Cummins to mid-on moments later. Blundell was the early wicket to fall, getting into a tangle off Lyon to put the spinner into the book for the first time. He’s the man most likely to take a bag, even after putting down Phillips in his follow-through when the new man was on 2. We go to the break with the Black Caps still 313 runs behind. A long way to go.

55th over: New Zealand 141-3 (Taylor 21, Phillips 3) Travis Head started the session with his off-spin and he’s back now to finish it. I suspect the plan from Paine was to race through the over in 90 seconds so to give Lyon another chance, but Taylor denied them that chance when lashing a half-volley through point for four. Oh, and he does it again to finish - that’s a lovely stroke. Lyon tries to give his hat over in order to get another one in but they aren’t having it... that’s LUNCH.

54th over: New Zealand 131-3 (Taylor 11, Phillips 3) Lyon straight into his shoebox to Phillips, the maiden played carefully with just a few minutes on the clock before the break. That is probably his final over of the session.

53rd over: New Zealand 131-3 (Taylor 11, Phillips 3) Taylor gets one to cut first up from Pattinson here and makes no mistake putting it away. He’s settled well against the pace, readying himself for lunch in a couple of overs from now.

“Hi Adam.” Hi Gavin Robertson. No, not that one. “As a Scot who lives in Australia, I often describe my interest in cricket as being grounded in a love of any sport in which I can watch England being soundly beaten on a regular basis. Regarding the Welsh question, isn’t Tasmania the Wales of Australia? It’s a different world down there. Even though they do speak English too.”

Yep, I don’t mind that. I’ve taken my girlfriend to Tassie a couple of times when she’s been in Australia over the last few summers. She doesn’t understand why I like to visit all these old Tasmanian Football League grounds but I’m convinced there is something special about them. This year we dropped into Sandy Bay, Glenorchy, York Park and North Hobart Oval. Last year it was Bellerive and the TCA Ground. Next? New Norfolk, I reckon. I’m clearly a great catch...

52nd over: New Zealand 125-3 (Taylor 6, Phillips 2) Well, you do not often see Lyon dropping catches off his own bowling but he has put Phillips down in his follow through! He’s taken some spectacular grabs over the journey - this couldn’t have been much more straightforward. He’s hurt his thumb when dropping the catch too, drawing blood. The Australian medico is straight out to take a look, patching him up before play resumes and the maiden is completed.

51st over: New Zealand 125-3 (Taylor 6, Phillips 2) Pattinson is straight back into the act with Ross Taylor to the middle, having sorted him out last week. It’s close to working too, finding his outside edge second ball, through about fifth slip for four. He gets another couple glancing to fine leg after shuffling across his stumps - he had to make contact or he was in the gun for lbw. Now driving, Taylor makes great contact but Burns pulls down a brilliant stop at cover, definitely saving four runs. There’s a credible shout for leg before after that when Taylor appears to miss his glance but there was some inside edge there. Plenty going on now!

50th over: New Zealand 119-3 (Taylor 0, Phillips 2) So, the Black Caps have two new men in the middle, neither having faced a ball, with Phillips on debut. Australia have a chance to run amok in the 25 minutes before lunch. The latter is off the mark second ball, his first runs in Test cricket down to fine leg. Cummins backs it up with a bumper, only just clearing his helmet. He’s better in defence to finish, making solid contact on the front foot. The end of a successful over.

The first of those wickets on 117.



Updated

WICKET! Latham c Starc b Cummins 49 (New Zealand 117-3)

Oh no! He’s middled it straight to mid-on! What a weird way for the captain to fall, one short of a half-century. After so much good work, they’re in strife again.

WICKET! Raval lbw b Lyon 31 (New Zealand 117-2)

Yep, that’s very out, hitting leg stump three quarters of the way up. A handy innings comes to an end. Just before he was given out I was reflecting on how confident he was looking to Lyon, but the spinner has developed an excellent straighter ball to left-handers over the last few years and it worked a treat here.

49th over: New Zealand 117-2 (Latham 49)

IS RAVAL LBW? He’s given out to Lyon on the field, beaten on the inside edge by a straighter delivery around the wicket. He sends it upstairs, surely more in hope than expectation? We’ll find out. Stand by.

Updated

48th over: New Zealand 114-1 (Latham 46, Raval 31) I just heard Pat Cummins called as Pat Cummings again. By a former teammate, too. How is this possible? He’s only been playing international cricket since 2011. Anyway, he’s in here at Raval, hiding the ball in his run-up, suggesting he’s looking for reverse. But the approach seems to be more about getting under his armpit, that awkward length Cummins hits more consistently than anyone in the game - apart from Wagner, come to think of it. He’s fuller later in the over, Raval defending well. Maiden.

47th over: New Zealand 114-1 (Latham 46, Raval 31) JEET! That’s the second time Raval has really launched into a pull shot off Pattinson and the result is the same, crashing into the rope at midwicket as he moves into the 30s. There was no way he could have anticipated batting in a Test Match this week. Go you good thing.

46th over: New Zealand 109-1 (Latham 46, Raval 26) Cummins to Raval, who is off strike with one to fine leg off the inside portion of his bat. Latham ducks and defends. “Well, in cricket terms, it fits into England, doesn’t it?” writes Mark Houghton. “Since the ‘England’ team, at least on a technicality, represents both England and Wales.” Sure, but not culturally. Or so my late grandmother would have argued. She didn’t learn English until she was 16! A different world.

45th over: New Zealand 108-1 (Latham 46, Raval 25) Back from drinks and Pattinson goes again, Raval turning the first ball down to long leg for another single. To 25 in 40 balls - good going. Latham deals with the rest, happy enough to leave and defend and not a lot more. He’s setting himself for an all dayer.

44th over: New Zealand 107-1 (Latham 46, Raval 24) Cummins is on to give Lyon a break, beginning his first spell of the day. But Raval isn’t intimidated by the number one bowler in the world, pushing from the balls of his feet behind point for his third boundary. A lovely stroke. He keeps the strike from the final delivery of the first hour of play as they take a drink. They’re going well.

43rd over: New Zealand 102-1 (Latham 46, Raval 19) Yes, Jeet! I’m already invested in his innings; what a great story if he kicked on to three figures? He’s giving himself every opportunity to score against the quicks, this time taking Pattinson on with a perfect pull shot, forward of the man at square leg and quickly out to the rope. On strike later in the over, Latham eases a couple through point. This is by far New Zealand’s best start of the series, now into triple figures.

42nd over: New Zealand 94-1 (Latham 43, Raval 14) Lyon to Latham, using his sweep for the first time today out to backward square for one. Raval is happiest on the front foot to the spinner, getting a big stride in whenever the length allows.

“Morning Adam.” G’day, Simon McMahon. “Much love and support from here in Scotland for both the bushfire effort, and Jane McGrath day. I’ve got friends in both Australia and New Zealand - the England and Scotland of the Southern Hemisphere, eh? A great day of Test cricket helps solve everything, though, right?”

That sounds about right by way of comparison but I’m not quite sure where Wales fits in? I was in the north-west corner before Christmas - a fantastic spot. Thanks for the well wishes. One positive development is some rain about today.

41st over: New Zealand 93-1 (Latham 42, Raval 14) Yep, that is Starc finished for now with Pattinson on from the Randwick End. He was only called upon for four overs last night, so he should be fresh. To Raval, the Victorian getting nice shape away from around the wicket - perhaps a hint of reverse swing? Two words we haven’t said too often since the sandpaper debacle. A lot to like about Raval’s push through point later in the over, all the way along the turf and into the rope. I’m backing him in to do something significant here - he’s started really well.

40th over: New Zealand 89-1 (Latham 42, Raval 10) A lovely offbreak to begin the Lyon over, spinning a long way from round the wicket, just beyond Raval’s edge and then his off-stump. But the No3 puts it behind him quickly, stroking an attractive drive through cover for three more to move into double figures.

39th over: New Zealand 86-1 (Latham 42, Raval 7) Starc is picked off for three from both of the first two deliveries, Latham flicking him through midwicket then Raval tucking off his hip. He’s started well. Latham whips another single through midwicket before Raval ends the productive over with one behind point. I suspect that’ll be the left-armer finished for now, Cummins surely on to replace him.

38th over: New Zealand 78-1 (Latham 38, Raval 3) Nicely played Raval, timing Lyon against the spin through midwicket off the front foot for a couple. Beware of the unwell batsman, of course. He’s defending well off the front foot too, getting well forward to blunt the turn. Already a good contest between these two.

37th over: New Zealand 76-1 (Latham 38, Raval 1) Jeet Raval, only playing this week due to the illness that ravaged the dressing room, plays and misses at the first ball he sees from Starc. He gives him nothing until the final delivery, turned away from leg stump out to midwicket to get him off the mark. Relief for him.



36th over: New Zealand 75-1 (Latham 38, Raval 0) Lyon to Latham, who he has driving early in the over, doing the tidiying up in his follow through. On 381 wickets, he’s now just three away now from overtaking Ian Botham. That’s nearly two with Latham cutting off an outside edge! “That’s too full to be cutting,” says Simon Katich on SEN radio. He gets four for it, just wide of slip. Ooh, and he’s beaten by a big turning off-break to finish. Lyon has quickly found his mojo.

35th over: New Zealand 71-1 (Latham 34, Raval 0) Probing from Starc to begin outside the off stump but well played by Latham through the cordon with soft hands for a couple. There’s a brief delay as the corporate types behind the bowler don’t realise they are in Latham’s eyeline moving around on the second deck of the Trumper Stand. They’ll be popular. Back on it, Starc completes an accurate over with a fuller ball that Latham pushes to extra cover for a single. Good batting.



34th over: New Zealand 68-1 (Latham 31, Raval 0) Raval, the recalled opener, has one delivery to get through and he does so in defence. A wicket maiden for Lyon.

WICKET! Blundell b Lyon 34 (Australia 68-1)

He’s dragged a half-tracker on! But Lyon earned that with the previous two deliveries, beating the edge then landing in the footmarks. Caught in two minds, the opener got into strife on the back foot, the ball trickling onto his stumps.

33rd over: New Zealand 68-0 (Latham 31, Blundell 34) Starc is hitting the radar well into the mid-140s but Latham is seeing them nicely in defence early on here. He has to adapt in the crease to a delivery that keeps just a fraction low at 147kph, but keeps it out easily enough. The skipper gets a chance to score from the penultimate ball off his pads and accepts the invitation, clipping four down to the fine leg rope. That’s the first boundary of day three. A quiet start, all told.

32nd over: New Zealand 64-0 (Latham 27, Blundell 34) Right, so Head was letting Lyon change to the Paddington End, which Warne is supportive of on telly. They highlight the footmarks on the broadcast, which Lyon hits from the get go. Blundell does well, able to defend from deep in the crease. He’s brought forward later in the over bringing the three close catchers into play, which Tim Paine enjoys. “That’s the one,” he says on the stump mic. Indeed it is. Another maiden.

31st over: New Zealand 64-0 (Latham 27, Blundell 34) Starc gets first crack from the pace trio, operating with just a slip in the cordon with two men out for the hook in front of the Members and Ladies Stands. But Latham isn’t interested in any of that though, leaving the bulk of this over outside the off stump. A maiden.

“Greetings from the Midlands, Adam.” Hello from North London, Sarah! I spent my afternoon between OBO stints watching my Dulwich Hamlet pile on six goals. “Looking forward to a great day of cricket, but even in the rainy cold Old Dart, all my thoughts are with those suffering from the devastating bushfires. Quick question though: is there a PayPal account for Jane McGrath Day donations?”

Good shout. Per the below tweet, all the details are at pinktest.com.au

30th over: New Zealand 64-0 (Latham 27, Blundell 34) Nothing wrong with his radar or rip, the part-timer right where he should be to the left-handed Latham from round the wicket. The stand-in skipper opens his account for the day with a single cut close to his stumps out to deep point. Nothing wrong with that as far as Australia are concerned. Even if he was bowling that over to help change ends, I suspect Paine will give him another one given how well that set went.

The players are on the field. Travis Head is taking the first over? Seriously! Well, there we have it. Latham is the man on strike, resuming on 26. PLAY!

A reminder to keep bidding on Russell Jackson’s bat! A former member of the Guardian sport team, Russ is doing a fantastic job raising money for bushfire relief, donating this wonderful bat he had signed by ten Test captains. Get involved!

The application of technology comes up yet again. On both sides of the Indian Ocean. I’m sure we all saw it, the hotspot on Tom Blundell’s bat only for Nigel Llong to give him not out when it was sent upstairs late yesterday. I don’t know how many more instances of this we need to see before the ICC look at investing in specialist television umpires. It completely undermines DRS more broadly when this keeps happening. They could take care of the front line as well, which became a big issue at Cape Town during South Africa’s innings overnight, Broad shown to have overstepped when finding van der Dussen’s edge. The broadcaster then proved the umpires weren’t looking for it as multiple instances were highlighted of no-balls going uncalled. We need to keep the pressure on with this.

Matthew Wade is fine. After copping a whack to the helmet at short leg last night, the Australian batsman has been assessed as fit by the medical staff this morning.

Welcome to day three at Sydney

Morning. While the nation’s attention remains very much fixed on the unfolding bushfire disaster, today at the SCG also marks another important fundraising efforts: Jane McGrath Day in support or breast cancer support and research through the McGrath Foundation. As it has been for the last 11 years, the ground will turn pink with both sides presenting their caps to Glenn McGrath for auction.

On the field, this Test is tilted heavily in favour of the home side but the New Zealand tourists held it together admirably on Saturday with ball then bat. Despite Marnus Labuschagne’s heavy accumulation and maiden double ton, they were able to take the seven remaining wickets for 165 runs before reaching 63 for no loss across the final session through Tom Blundell and stand-in skipper Tom Latham.

If they can bat all day, the match will be in the ballpark of parity with two days to go. Considering the way the Black Caps have routinely folded on this tour, that would be an achievement in itself and a reminder of why they came into this series as the number two Test side in the world. It won’t be as hot in the middle today, so the Aussie quicks should be able to back up for multiple spells.

As always, I’m looking forward to your company throughout the first half of the day before passing the OBO baton to JP Howcroft. Drop me a line at any time.

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