Australia win by an innings and 52 runs
So New Zealand bowled out for 327, and a comprehensive win for the Australians: one that will be remembered for Adam Voges’ 239 that lifted his career average to the heights of Bradmania.
Especially given this was Brendon McCullum’s 100th Test, that same innings will also leave a bad taste in the mouth, given Voges should have been out on 7 but was reprieved by an incorrect no-ball call. The footage of umpire Illingworth extending his arm well after the bails had hit the ground will be seen again.
It’s been a tough run for New Zealand with the umpires, almost certainly cost a win during November’s Adelaide Test thanks to the DRS disaster with Nathan Lyon, and now cost any chance of competing in another thanks to that call.
But their own batting was not up to scratch, and without the free scoring from the tail it would have been even more dire.
6-88 in the first innings, 6-218 in the second, you won’t win a lot of Test matches doing that. The milestone man McCullum contributed only 10 runs across two innings.
We wrap up with a day and a half to spare. Nathan Lyon had the pick of the figures with 4-91 in the face of a sustained lower-order batting onslaught. Mitch Marsh more than did his job with 3-73, including McCullum and Corey Anderson. Hazlewood took 2-75 and Jackson Bird 1-51, while Peter Siddle managed only 8 overs thanks to his back trouble.
For NZ, Latham looked good with 63 yesterday but gave it away, Guptill remains a weak Test match performer but slogged 45, and Nicholls made a very good 59 on debut. Southee’s bashorama for 48 was fun at the end.
Enough from us, we’ll be back on the OBO, and possibly playing the oboe, in five days’ time, when the second Test starts from Christchurch this Saturday. No Jonathan Howcroft for you now, thanks to the early finish, but he’ll be along then, along with Adam Collins, the returning Russell Jackson, and myself, Geoff Lemon.
Thanks for your company. Until then.
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Here’s some trivia for you: not just Boult with his No11 sixes record, but Tim Southee is now 24th on the all-time list of six-hitters.
I know that might not sound impressive, but it’s notable considering that he has 58 sixes in 47 matches. Look at those around him: Jayasuriya 59 from 100, Younis Khan 60 from 104, Jayawardene 61 from 149, or even the clubhouse leader, Adam Gilchrist, with 100 from 96 Tests.
Indeed, the only batsmen on the list with more sixes than matches are Gilchrist, Chris (ahem) Cairns with 87 from 62 Tests, and Misbah-ul-Haq with 67 from 61.
Of course, it’d be handy if he made a few more runs that weren’t sixes, but let’s all appreciate a fine statistical performance in whatever category it happens to arise.
After today Tim Southee has one more Test match 6 than AB De Villiers and in 100 fewer innings.
— Charlie Reynolds (@cwjreynolds) February 15, 2016
WICKET! Boult b Marsh 12
104.2 overs: New Zealand all out 327 (Craig 33 not out)
Finally Australia wrap up this wildly wagging tail. Boult just played the most absurd and wonderful shot, stepping outside his leg stump before dragging a pull shot from outside off, and forehanding it through wide long-on for four.
Next ball he does that trick of moving outside his off stump, but Marsh has guessed the move and simply bowls him middle and off. It’s amazing how that works when a batsman exposes all three - just hit them.
Bowled behind his legs, but hitting the off stump. Unusual, you must say.
104th over: New Zealand 323-9 (Craig 33, Boult 8)
Boult wanted another big one there, but only got one run via the inside drag. Craig sees out the rest of the over, until Lyon drags down and gives him a short wide Four N Twenty. Smashed on the cut for four.
103rd over: New Zealand 318-9 (Craig 29, Boult 7)
Mitch Marsh replaces Hazlewood, with Siddle still Siddlined with back trouble. The all-rounder is earning his keep with the ball.
The batsmen trade singles, then Craig smashes a pull shot for four. All this scoring at the other end is intoxicating.
Craig nails a beautiful cover drive next ball, but straight to the field. He learns from that, and better aims his second attempt. Another NZ boundary.
102nd over: New Zealand 308-9 (Craig 20, Boult 6)
Lyon. Boult. Massive six over deep midwicket! Just a pure midwicket slog, a true swing of the bat and gets every micron of that ball.
According to White Line Wireless (unconfirmed), Boult now has the record for the most sixes by a No11, passing the great Courtney Walsh with his 17th Test match delivery sent over the rope.
Also a brilliant catch by a man at the very top of the hill to stop the ball leaving the ground before throwing it back. “He could have sold it on eBay for 20 bucks,” says Jonathan Woods on air. “Courtney Walsh could have bought it.”
101st over: New Zealand 301-9 (Craig 20, Boult 0)
Ah, Trent Boult. If you’ve never seen him bat, find a television. He makes things so entertaining, the way he swerves back and forth across his crease, either outside off or outside leg, trying to put the bowler off. Then plays away from his body, but with such fine hand-eye coordination that he almost invariably hits the ball.
When I say that, I mean he does that for his defensive strokes. He keeps out a Hazlewood yorker despite standing well outside leg stump as it zeroed in on middle. Just reached across and thudded it, casually as a man popping the snooze button on a pesky alarm.
WICKET! Southee c Khawaja b Lyon 48
100th over: New Zealand 301-8 (Craig 20, Boult 0)
The hundredth over up, not a milestone Australia wanted to see raised, and it turns out that it will be the most Tim Southee over ever.
Lyon’s first ball turns sharply but beats the edge onto the pad and into the hands of short leg.
The second Southee creams for six, most controlled shot he’s played today, barely a movement down the pitch, just a shuffle into position and a drive over long-on.
Third ball, drops shorter does Lyon to avoid the drive, so Southee cuts through cover for four.
Then another six, even better shot than the last one, this one he barely moved at all, true swing of the bat, that went right over the large white sightscreen at the far end of the ground and onto that dangerous hill.
And the fifth ball? Lyon knows how to absorb this punishment. He bowls full but a little wider, knowing Southee will come across the ball, and that’s exactly what he does to drag the catch to long-on.
Craig finishes the over with a forward defence. 48 from 23 balls from Southee, strike rate of 208.69. Entertaining, and he’s cut the deficit to 78.
99th over: New Zealand 285-8 (Craig 20, Southee 32)
Craig is doing his best to be the anti-Southee, beaten by Hazlewood’s first ball but defending solidly thereafter.
He takes a run to cover with a ball to spare, but Southee sensibly jabs the last ball off his hip for one more run.
98th over: New Zealand 283-8 (Craig 19, Southee 31)
Lyon versus Southee. This match-up is the moneymaker. Time to shake it.
To begin with, Sensible Southee makes his debut, defending two off the back foot. But that’s all. Charging the third ball, he smacks it through cover for four.
Then not moving, but just putting his front foot forward, he lifts a long six over the fence and into the crowd by the William Wakefield Memorial at the top of the eastern hill.
Then a big leading edge from another slog, but it clears cover and picks him up two runs. Lives by his luck, Southee, and he can score when it comes off.
31 from 17 balls now, strike rate 183, with a dozen from the over.
97th over: New Zealand 271-8 (Craig 19, Southee 19)
Southee more conservative against the faster stuff, again standing on his toes to punch Hazlewood for a single through cover.
Craig edges four runs wide of Smith at second slip, would have bounced in front of a third in any case.
96th over: New Zealand 266-8 (Craig 15, Southee 18)
That’s enough, Lyon comes on. Sniffer Smith knows that Southee won’t be able to resist heaving away, hauling away, heaving away you blooming things, against the spinner.
Sniffer is right, but Southee can’t make contact with his slog and only gets a leg bye.
Craig sensibly soaks up most of the over, but foolishly cuts a single in time to give Southee another ball to face. Southee inevitably charges the bowler, but for unknown reasons (certainly not common sense) doesn’t go through with the shot and squirts a single square.
95th over: New Zealand 263-8 (Craig 14, Southee 17)
Oh, what a shot! By which I mean, what a terrible, strange shot. A kind of half-hearted pull from Southee, not enough room to do so against the Hazlewood bouncer. It was a limp kind of prod, but the top edge of it made contact with the ball and lifted it over the wicketkeeper for four.
Better that time! The next one not quite short enough, and Southee flat-bats it through wide long-on. Boundary, then a single, so he’s 17 from 8 balls and going at a classical Test strike rate of 212.50.
94th over: New Zealand 254-8 (Craig 14, Southee 8)
That’s more like the Tum Southee* that we know and love.*
Ball on the pads, Southee wallops it away over square. Then pulls the short one from Bird for a single.
* local pronunciation
* find intensely frustrating
93rd over: New Zealand 249-8 (Craig 14, Southee 3)
Southee gets off the mark quite competently, uncharacteristically not trying to wallop six over midwicket, but instead standing up and driving three runs off the back foot. Not bad.
He gets off strike, and Craig has decided that Hazlenut is uncrackable, so he just defends out the over.
92nd over: New Zealand 246-8 (Craig 14, Southee 0)
Cat Jones accused of “seeing the world through Bird-tinted glasses” on the White Line Wireless commentary, as she’s hoping for Jack Bird to get another couple of wickets and improve his figures.
Not sure it’ll help though: 0-52 from 10 overs in the first innings, while seam-bowling colleagues Hazlewood and Siddle took a combined 7-79 from 26.
Then 1-46 from his 18 overs this innings, far less costly but still struggling for penetration. If he does stay in the side, it’ll likely rely on Siddle being injured or Pattinson being ruled unfit.
Four runs from this over, as Craig drives attractively through the covers.
91st over: New Zealand 242-8 (Craig 10, Southee 0)
Well, hello. Sorry for that rude and rushed introduction. I feel like I’ve just met a new person after riding a bike up a long hill. Puffing and red and generally lacking in sophistication.
Geoff Lemon here for the session, or as much of one as we get. But Trent Boult at No11 has produced some of NZ’s best knocks against Australia of late, so the rearguard may still be on.
Thanks to Adam Collins for that first session on debut: like Henry Nicholls, stroking a nerveless and attractive half-century at the first time of asking. Dougie the pizza guy a highlight.
WICKET! Bracewell lbw Hazlewood 14
Not even time to settle in my chair before another one goes down. First over after lunch, Hazlewood comes wide on the crease, angles a ball in past Bracewell’s edge, and it crashes into his pad in front of middle stump.
Bracewell reviews, but two reds and a yellow come up, the ball hitting the top of middle.
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Australia had six wickets left to get when play started this morning to end this affair inside four days and earn a day on golf course, or whatever the equivalent is for modern cricketers.
They managed half that task. Mitch Marsh bowled with legitimate zip early on, pinning Corey Anderson on the crease for a 22 ball blob.
Nathan Lyon spun one hard back through the gap to get his third, BJ Watling unable to keep it from crashing into his stumps. Lyon, again, was outstanding.
Jackson Bird got his first of the match when debutant Henry Nicholls got whacked on the ankle with the ball deflecting into his stumps. Nicholls (59) looks a player, and Bird will eat a relieved man after finally getting in the book with Australia’s 17th wicket of the match.
Speaking of lunch, I need a feed. Thanks for keeping me company on my maiden OBO effort. It’s been frantic, but fun. My dear friend Geoff Lemon will continue to do what he does best when the players return to the field in about 35 minutes.
Bye for now from the Basin.
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90th over: New Zealand 241-7 (Bracewell 14, Craig 9)
Bird is the other bowler called upon for second new ball duty, getting some nice natural shape with his action that tends to send the ball away from right handers and into the pads of the southpaws. Craig leans low to whip through midwicket for his best three runs to date.
James Nicholson asks tougher questions than Mike Willesee or Brendan Fevola. “I see that both teams have Z’s in their name. But can you confirm if Auz clean up here, but lose or tie the next test – how will this impact the world ratings?”
I get anything is pozzible. To the substance of your query, I’ll handball it to Geoff Lemon who takes over from me.
That, my friends, is lunch. Let me quickly gather my thoughts before wrapping the session that was.
89th over: New Zealand 238-7 (Bracewell 14, Craig 6)
Nine overs after they entitled to do so, Australia have taken the new ball; Hazlewood’s swing immediately reverts from Irish to orthodox.
The over contains a lengthy DRS review to check a full delivery that crashes into pad Bracewell’s pad. But via inside edge? It’s not conclusive, and the TV ump suggests going with the on field decision of Richard Kettleborough. It looks like it would have missed leg stump anyway. A maiden it is.
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88th over: New Zealand 238-7 (Bracewell 14, Craig 6)
Lyon maiden. Of course it is. A huge shout for leg before reinforcing that he has the best on-knees appealing technique in world cricket at the moment. It isn’t enough for Sniffer Smith to go upstairs and Craig survives. Good call.
87th over: New Zealand 238-7 (Bracewell 14, Craig 6)
I’ve got to say, if I went through my opening session and esteemed author and incredibly handsome* OBO-regular Robert Wilson didn’t drop me a note it would have broke my little heart.
“Lyon is indeed a top talent and a wonderful backstory,” he says. “Can’t help feeling that Australians are still a little blinded in the afterglare of Warne’s magical career and post-career anticharisma. He’s hard to compete with for column inches.”
That he is.
(*He then he says he’d pay me cash money for reflecting on his cricket brain and looks. I’m easy like that)
Meanwhile, Big Josh Hazlewood gets another over, and it’s the Black Caps most productive of the morning with eight coming from it, punctuated by another blistering Bracewell off-drive with all the trimmings. More than just a dinky medium-fast, our Douggie.
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86th over: New Zealand 230-7 (Bracewell 7, Craig 5)
There’s a foot-by-foot space that Lyon lands practically every delivery within. If you think of the pitch like a dart board, and the Basin Reserve as Blackpool, and Lyon with a fag/pint in his hand, he could be throwing nine darters for a crust.
Bracewell has enough by the end and forces a single into the offside, but you’re watching the work of a man nearing the peak of his powers.
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85th over: New Zealand 229-7 (Bracewell 6, Craig 5)
Bracewell drives Bird’s opening delivery with the technique of a specialist bat, to the long off boundary in a matter of seconds. That’s super pretty. Faulks is sitting next to me at the moment in the press box and makes a decent point about the NZ batting order: cricket is more than columns on spreadsheets.
Whack. Off-driven 4 to Bracewell. Perhaps that's why he (average 13) bats above Craig (average 37). 7-227 25 minutes before lunch #NZvAUS
— Andrew Faulkner (@AndrewFaulkner9) February 14, 2016
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84th over: New Zealand 223-7 (Bracewell 1, Craig 5)
Lyon forces Craig into a defensive footing time and again, no runs to be found here. How will New Zealand approach this task? The game is lost. Will they try and take some paint off the Australian bowlers by swinging for pickets, or occupy to frustrate them as deep into the day as possible? Lyon will hope the former, he has a five-fa on the shelf here with a bit of luck.
25 minutes till stumps. You can talk to me, you know. @collinsadam on the twitter, adam.collins.freelance@theguardian.com if you need more characters to convey your inner most thoughts.
83rd over: New Zealand 223-7 (Bracewell 1, Craig 5)
Full. That’s how he got the wicket: keeping the ball up, making Nicholls play the three well placed balls before the one that rocketed into the stumps.
Mark Craig receives the the ideal first ball, on the pads, guided to the rope. Back on the money with the last ball, Bird nearly makes it two wickets in three after collecting the inside edge of Craig. Good on Bird for working back into this game.
WICKET! Nicholls b Bird 59
That’s the one he needed! Now for a few more. Bird sends down a full ball, Nicholls tries to whip it through midwicket but it was probably too full, and it hit him on the ankle before taking out the woodwork.
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82nd over: New Zealand 218-5 (Nicholls 59, Bracewell 1)
Nathan Lyon into a real groove here, and he knows that Bracewell doesn’t want to attack, so he mixes up his lengths forward and back to test out the various defensive modes.
81st over: New Zealand 218-5 (Nicholls 59, Bracewell 1)
Bird manages a maiden, he’s been tidy this innings but he desperately needs wickets for his place in the team. Still on none-for after being collared in the first dig. James Pattinson is already warming up for Christchurch.
It's duck-hunting season here in Wellington: a Bird is about to get dropped. #NZvAus
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) February 14, 2016
80th over: New Zealand 218-5 (Nicholls 59, Bracewell 1)
“Bowling, Garry!” comes to the roar from behind the stumps. In keeping with Australian custom, Lyon’s nickname is the first name of another famous person who shares his surname. Awkwardly, Garry, or, The Ornament to the Game as he was known in his AFL days, is on the front of the paper for all the wrong reasons at the moment.
Nicholls sweeps a single in keeping with his enterprising disposition, but no other runs are round. Will they take the new rock? It’s now due.
79th over: New Zealand 217-5 (Nicholls 58, Bracewell 1)
After going without maiden, none-fa-smashed in the first dig, Bird strings together six dots for the third time this innings with the ball still reversing about six overs before the new one is due. He’s without wicket for the match too which will weigh heavily on him each time he runs in. He may be named Bird, but he’s only human. The highlight of the set was the quicker bouncer directed at Bracewell’s grill, ducked under late.
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78th over: New Zealand 217-5 (Nicholls 58, Bracewell 1)
Lyon moves to 191 Test wickets with the Watling dismissal. He’s already the greatest Australian off-breaker of all time in terms of wickets earned. But where does he get to? The way he’s going he could overtake Swann in a year, Gibbs in two. When you consider how he found his way into professional cricket, this is one of the great stories in the modern game.
Dangerous Doug Bracewell is the next in. An inside edge is not a convincing way for him to get off the mark. Oh, and another over, another overthrow. Nicholls gets a spare run after Hazlewood pegs the stumps at the non-striker’s end and it runs away.
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WICKET! Watling b Lyon 10
One for the Nathan Lyon highlight reel. Sure, it got an inside edge on the way through, but it really gripped, turned a mile, caught Watling on the crease and crashed into his middle and off stump. Have that.
77th over: New Zealand 214-5 (Nicholls 56, Watling 10)
Jack Bird. Some people call him Jackson, Geoff Lemon and I call him Jack. On for his first trundle of the day. Short spells have been his go so far this match, struggling on day one but at long last doing away with the nerves by yesterday afternoon, playing his part in the Australian strangulation.
First up today he’s short and on the body line of Nicholls who whacks him out to the gap at deep square leg for a couple. He gets it together thereafter, four belt and braces dots. Then some dross outside leg, which Nicholls misses out on. How annoying, he’ll’ve muttered, or something like that.
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76th over: New Zealand 212-5 (Nicholls 54, Watling 10)
A probing maiden from Lyon to Watling, forcing him forward, encouraging him back. This is good cricket. They’re having a drink. It’s getting a bit steamy here now so they’ll probably enjoy it. I mean, it’s probably 22 degrees, but it’s all relative in these parts.
75th over: New Zealand 212-5 (Nicholls 54, Watling 10)
Oh dear, fives in consecutive overs. Can’t happen often? Like the three caught and bowled dismissals in the Australian innings. Or Mitch Marsh falling that way twice in a week. Rarities and oddities. Watling was the beneficiary this time - cheers, fellas!
Earlier in the over Nicholls cut Marsh hard behind point for a brace. Mitch is tired, Mitch needs a sleep.
74th over: New Zealand 204-5 (Nicholls 51, Watling 5)
Nicholls to 50! He’s lucky, a shy at the non-strikers end from Jack Bird misses and scampers away to the boundary for four over throws; five scored. Lyon spends the rest of the over throwing them up to Watling encouraging anything expansive. I fancy these two giving us some entertainment.
Okay, so he’s past 50 I’m allowed to start talking up a ton on debut from right... now. Here’s a list of all those who have done it. By my quick scan down the page, it looks like eight of those are Kiwis, twitter’s own Jimmy Neesham the most recent two years ago when the Black Caps eroded a 135 first innings deficit to make 680.
The day that Watling featured in his first sixth wicket world record stand. Who is there now. I’m searching for an omen. Help me.
73rd over: New Zealand 199-5 (Nicholls 46, Watling 5)
How’s this for a stat: the TV tells us that in reaching 46, Nicholls now has the highest score for NZ on debut batting in the number four position. Blimey. He got there with a push into the covers off Marsh. The remainder of the over Watling tries to find a way to score but keeps finding fielders. Marsh has been good, but probably time for a breather.
72nd over: New Zealand 198-5 (Nicholls 45, Watling 5)
Welcome, Nathan Lyon. He replaces Hazlewood. Gee he bowled well yesterday. His final spell of six overs saw just the two scoring shots, one of those nearly caught by Sniffer Smith at slip. From a timid tweaker, he’s so confident now once range is found.
And after that wrap, he drops way too short and Watling takes three through mid-wicket with no risk in the slightest. Nicholls bookended the over with a nudge in front of square and a nurdle behind point.
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71st over: New Zealand 193-5 (Nicholls 43, Watling 2)
With a right/left hand combination at the crease now for New Zealand it means we are treated to the delightful sound beneath the box of the sightscreen moving as Marsh rotates his approach. It has been one of the many wonderful things about watching cricket at the Basin: two blokes pushing the screen side to side. In a world of automation, it’s a welcome throwback.
They rotate the board a few of times in the over, Nicholls knocking a couple of balls into the onside, while Watling steers one by the Lyon at point.
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69th over: New Zealand 190-5 (Nicholls 41, Watling 1)
Watling has centuries in last two starts at this venue, remarkably on both occasions being part of world record sixth wicket partnerships. He won’t have it easy today though with Hazlewood at his penetrative best. A maiden. He’s watchful. He’ll need to be.
Gav Joshi gives a sense of what they have been able to achieve in these similar scenarios.
Based on the recent history at Basin Reserve 6th wicket will be most crucial. On previous 2 occasions NZ 2nd inngs 5th wk p'ships 365, 352
— Gav_Joshi_Aus (@Gampa_cricket) February 14, 2016
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68th over: New Zealand 190-5 (Nicholls 41, Watling 1)
There’s a fella below us in the press box who is the most passionate Australian fan who has ever been an Australian fan. He revs up the troops about once an over with his booming voice. “Come on Mitchell, come on mate, same spot. Get yourself a bag here mate!”
I spent a lot of the week wondering whether this is wonderful or painful. The green and gold shorts he’s sporting tipped me in favour of the former. What a guy.
The remainder of Marsh’s successful over got BJ Watling off the mark via a push through the covers before Nicholls found himself in a spot of bother twice to finish the eventful set.
Marsh’s pace (that pace, seriously, it’s a thing now) was enough to clobber him in the pad for a half appeal, and then he cut him in half, a big fat inside edge that got all the Australians oooh-ing and aah-ing, just missing the leg stump. Mitch Marsh, get on board.
Meanwhile, Andrew Donnison has weighed in on his Barnet.
@WhiteLineWire @JPHowcroft @LiebCricket Marsh has haircut that every Yr 8 student had in early 1990's. The Golden Arches with an Undercut
— Andrew Donnison (@Donno79) February 14, 2016
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WICKET! Anderson lbw Marsh 0
Right arm over, has it pitched on leg? DRS will tell us as Anderson refers it. It has, going on to hit it clean, a 22 ball duck from the man who has the second fastest ODI century of all time.
68th over: New Zealand 185-4 (Nicholls 36, Anderson 0)
Hazlewood takes Nicholls on with the short ball again, he takes a single. He’s got his act together here. As does Hazlewood, getting the ball to move around in the muggy conditions; impressive with the older ball.
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67th over: New Zealand 184-4 (Nicholls 35, Anderson 0)
Marsh is really on point this morning, and he’ll need to be with it unclear what contribution Peter Siddle will be able to make with a back spasm acquired yesterday. He has an awful undercut hair do at the moment, but this doesn’t prevent him bowling another over of scoreless balls to Anderson. At a decent clip.
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66th over: New Zealand 182-4 (Nicholls 35, Anderson 0)
The first time Hazlewood went upstairs with any intent this morning Nicholls was up to the task, competently pulling him through midwicket for the first boundary (and runs) of the morning. A good little struggle this. The tone set for the day?
Greg Baum coined a new term overnight, the Voges-matron.
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65th over: New Zealand 178-4 (Nicholls 31, Anderson 0)
Around the wicket is Marsh and he’s giving it his all. He forces two almost-false strokes in the maiden over. Initially the Kiwi all-rounder jumped back in his crease to play a ball with both legs in the air. Later he was whacked on his front pad to a delivery that should’ve been the first run of the day, but wasn’t. 15 balls without a score, this is how they did it yesterday.
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64th over: New Zealand 178-4 (Nicholls 31, Anderson 0)
It was a strangulation yesterday, the Australian seamers teaming up either side of the tea break to go 68 balls without a boundary before Josh Hazlewood earned Kane Williamson’s edge; a huge moment.
The burly but ever so polite New South Welshman opens from the Governor-Generals’ Gaff end and he’s back doing what he does best: dotting it up. A tidy maiden to Nicholls gets his day underway.
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63rd over: New Zealand 178-4 (Nicholls 31, Anderson 0)
Mitchell Marsh has three balls remaining in his over after trapping Brendon McCullum lbw to wrap up the day prematurely. You had to feel for the Black Caps skipper, trudging off knowing that with him went any vague chance of a miracle.
Marsh impressed yesterday after taking some tap early. He’s straight back into the groove, the third and final ball beating the newcomer Corey Anderson, 142 clicks as well. He’s found a yard this summer. Committed bending of back.
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Good morning from cloudy, blustery Basin Reserve. I’m Adam Collins and I’m on OBO debut. So is Henry Nicholls, who is resuming on 31, his Black Caps requiring 201 runs before Australia will need to so much as pad up again.
Instead of drawing too much attention to the parlous situation the locals are in, I will be fixated on the tale of plucky Nicholls through the morning session for I’m rather taken with players who have made a century on Test debut. 20 have done so for Australia. Dirk Welham! Gary Cosier! What a world.
We’re about ten minutes from play, the warm ups are ending, the entourage of either side are vacating the field, and we’re about to settle into some old fashioned attritional Test Match cricket.
Ping me a note through the course of the opening session to adam.collins.freelance@theguardian.com. Which gives away my name, and that I’ll write for anyone who’ll pay me. Till soon.
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Adam will be in shortly to take you through the morning’s action - in the interim here’s a refresher of what transpired on day three.
Devastating stuff for the skipper in his 100th Test - can the rest of his chargers rally? All shall soon be revealed.
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