The day in brief
It was another compelling day of cricket at Hagley Oval. Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson moved through the first session cautiously before falling to Jackson Bird. Williamson did so three short of his century, which was a shame. Still, what followed from BJ Watling (46) and Matt Henry (66) was an inspired parternship of 118 to take the Kiwis from a hopeless position to setting Australia a 201-run target. Henry was simpl brilliant in pulling his side back into it. Jackson Bird’s 5-59 from 17.1 overs was an attack-leading effort for Australia.
What has followed was less ideal for the home side. Opening bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee helped Warner and Burns to a stress-free start before Neil Wagner removed Warner for 22 with yet another short ball and the only foot (or hand, perhaps) that Wagner put wrong was when he dropped a chance that Burns gave on 19. He’s 27 not out at stumps and Khawaja 19, so Australia need 131 more runs on day five with nine wickets in hand. Knock them off and they’re confirmed as the number one side in the ICC Test rankings.
You can join me for all of that tomorrow when we kick this thing off again from the first ball of the day. Thanks for your company throughout the day.
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Stumps on day four - Australia need 131 more runs on day five
20th over: Australia 70-1 (Burns 27, Khawaja 19)
And that is stumps on day four at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. It was a speculative over from Corey Anderson to finish but Burns is happy to negotiate his way to stumps without undue risk and turns a single with a few balls left to hand over the honours to Khawaja. The latter has something of a rush of blood on the penultimate delivery, launching an ambitious cover drive when the ball is too far away from his body and almost dragging it on, but survives.
Australia have been made to work for it today but finish the day with 131 to make and nine wickets in hand on day five. I’ll be back in a sec with a wrap of the day’s play.
19th over: Australia 69-1 (Burns 26, Khawaja 19)
Wagner’s still plugging away and it’s a strange field to Burns; one slip, a gully and a two shortish point men. He’s ever so slightly fuller in length but not offering anything that can be driven. By the end of the over he’s receiving warm applause from the remaining spectators as he heads down to the fence. He’d probably bounce them too if they didn’t offer it.
18th over: Australia 68-1 (Burns 25, Khawaja 19)
Is Trent Boult really sending it down at 137kmph? Check the speedo, I reckon. He digs one in short to Khawaja and it sits up for what feels like minutes before the batsman swivels around and cranks it to the fence. With a couple of twos it ends up a profitable venture for Khawaja. We’ll have two more overs today, it appears. Survive unscathed and the Aussies are well placed to knock off the rest of the runs tomorrow.
17th over: Australia 60-1 (Burns 25, Khawaja 11)
I think we’ve just seen why Neil Wagner sticks with bouncers. He pitches one up to Khawaja here and with not a single man in front of square on the offside, it would have still gone for four if he’d only hit it half as hard. Less convincing from the Aussie is a dab around the corner that’s almost snaffled by leg gully but it does bring a single.
16th over: Australia 55-1 (Burns 25, Khawaja 6)
Usman Khawaja has never looked flustered in his life and he’s not about to change that in such picturesque surrounds as these. He takes his time before working a single off Boult and it’s the only damage for the over. We’ll have half an hour more at Hagley Oval; enough time for Australia to rattle up 25-30 more runs but also, as we’ve seen before with these two sides, long enough for a mini-collapse.
Wagner’s injury confirmed:
Wagner putting in an inspired spell. He's split the webbing on his left hand so is bowling angry, short & fast. Interesting viewing. 54/1
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) February 23, 2016
15th over: Australia 54-1 (Burns 25, Khawaja 5)
Wagnerline continues unabated with the left-armed fizzing down short ball after short ball to the Australian pair. Are the umpires going to step in? Should they? I say let him go for it. It’s brilliant to see a man bowling at 132 km/h but genuinely believing that he’s the second coming of Michael Holding.
@rustyjacko Ian Smith would go apoplectic if Starc did this to the Black Caps.
— michael tilley (@MrTills) February 23, 2016
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14th over: Australia 53-1 (Burns 25, Khawaja 4)
With Henry operating to diminishing returns, McCullum brings Boult back on from his end in the hope that he can wiggle out Khawaja. The latter drives a little awkwardly away from his body but still manages three with his superb timing of the ball.
13th over: Australia 50-1 (Burns 25, Khawaja 1)
Neil Wagner is quite literally throwing himself at the task now and goes crashing to the turf in his follow through as Khawaja gets off the mark. Much like in his six-wicket haul in the first innings, it’s all bouncers, all the time. It’s entirely predictable and yet the only bowling tactic that has consistently troubled the Australians.
WICKET! Warner c Watling b Warner 22 (Australia 49-1)
Warner’s gone! It was a big deflection off the glove as he tried to tuck the ball down to fine leg and Watling moved around to take the simple catch. It’s taken a review to establish it but the Kiwis have a breakthrough!
REVIEW! Wagner thinks Warner has edged behind to Watling
And I reckon he’s right, too.
12th over: Australia 49-0 (Warner 22, Burns 25)
There’s a long delay in the middle of this Matt Henry over and nobody seems to know why until 12th man Mark Craig runs out a pair of replacement keeping gloves for BJ Watling. Surely the others didn’t buckle under the strain of the bowling? Henry musters up a comical misfield off his own bowling to send the ball ricocheting away for a single to Warner and then Burns almost chops it onto his stumps but instead gets two. Perhaps it’s not New Zealand’s day after all.
11th over: Australia 44-0 (Warner 19, Burns 23)
Umpire Martinesz is getting sick of Neil Wagner’s short stuff so after warning him about it first, calls him for a no ball late in this over to Burns. It’s actually an entertaining sub-plot though because the bowler looks antsy about having his fingers crushed when he dropped a catch off the Queenslander a few overs back.
10th over: Australia 43-0 (Warner 19, Burns 23)
Better stuff from Henry, who nags away on a good line and length to Warner and bowls a maiden. By the end of the over the only major action is when Richard Kettleborough warns Tom Latham about bouncing the ball in to the keeper with his throw.
9th over: Australia 43-0 (Warner 19, Burns 23)
I’m not sure how sustainable it is but after having the pinkie and ring fingers of his bowling hand taped together, Wagner grabs the ball and sets off for his first over of the innings. Perhaps it’s not surprising that his first delivery is short and sits up outside off stump for Burns to flash a cut shot to the fence. The man who maimed him is now taunting him. Wagner’s clearly in pain but limits the damage for the rest of the over, which features five more short balls. He’s nothing if not consistent.
Joe Burns is dropped by Neil Wagner!
8th over: Australia 39-0 (Warner 19, Burns 19)
Henry’s got three slips in place but he’s hardly bursting through crease to the Australian pair. There’s a no ball and Warner punches three runs through cover. And then....a drop? Yes, Burns has pulled a short one hard and flat at Neil Wagner, but the first innings hero puts down the chance at mid-wicket and it bursts through his fingers for three. Did he even see that coming? It’s losses all round here; the missed chance, the runs and Wagner was just about to come on for a bowl but instead his hand is being inspected by the team physio. Oh dear.
7th over: Australia 32-0 (Warner 16, Burns 16)
A boundary per over is a bit of a problem for New Zealand. Now Burns cracks Boult through mid off to hit the fence. The rest of the over is fine but at this rate the Australian’s will knock off half of their target by stumps.
6th over: Australia 28-0 (Warner 16, Burns 12)
Time is off the essence here and Brendon McCullum knows it, so brings Matt Henry on straight away in the hope that he’ll force a breakthrough. Not atypically for the burly right-armer, his first ball is a shocker and gets pulled out to the fence by a grateful Burns. It’s not an entirely convincing start from Henry.
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5th over: Australia 23-0 (Warner 16, Burns 7)
Boult tightens things up somewhat too and cramps Warner for space outside off, where he likes to free his arms and use that Gray Nicolls ‘Kaboom’ of his to devastating effect. The over only costs two.
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4th over: Australia 21-0 (Warner 14, Burns 7)
This is better from Southee, who puts together a maiden to Burns and at least applies some pressure to the Australian pair. With a small target to defend there’ll need to be a lot more of that.
3rd over: Australia 21-0 (Warner 14, Burns 7)
Not content with letting Warner have all the fun, Burns rocks back to Boult and obliterates another short ball over cow corner for a boundary. This has been awful bowling from the Kiwis to start with. In three overs they’ve undone a decent portion of the good work throughout the day. Both Australian batsmen have accordingly made a confident start.
Why are Southee and Boult bowling into the wicket? Surely if there was a time to pitch it up, this is it? #NZvAUS
— Michael Wagener (@Mykuhl) February 23, 2016
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2nd over: Australia 16-0 (Warner 14, Burns 2)
Warner gets a half-tracker off Southee too and New Zealand can ill-afford such charity early in the left-hander’s innings. He hammers it to the fence at deep cover and then goes again over the head of the man at gully. He’s almost knocked off 10% of the target already. If I may be so self-indulgent, here’s another Sunnyboys song and almost definitely their best video.
1st over: Australia 7-0 (Warner 6, Burns 1)
Okay, we’re under way in Australia’s chase with Joe Burns turning a single down to fine leg off Trent Boult. Raymond Reared, meanwhile, has a question. “Whilst you are sweltering in Melbourne, are you going for the Sunny Boys and their Eskies to win the test or the Icy Pops and their Chiily Bins?” If I had to stake my house on it, I’m taking the Eskies, Raymond, rather emphatically backed up here when Warner belts Boult through point for a boundary.
As for Sunnyboys, here’s a blast of the Aussie band of the same name.
Some statistical history from the master
Aus have chased 201 or fewer 124 times in Tests; only 12 losses, most recently 2004-05 away to Ind (107). #NZvAus pic.twitter.com/LrpCq3TsF0
— Jesse Hogan (@Jesse_Hogan) February 23, 2016
Jackson Bird gets five, Boult's out and Australia will chase 201
WICKET! Boult c Pattinson b Bird 0 (New Zealand all out for 335)
Boult skies one and the New Zealand innings is finally over. As a result of that Bird ends up with a much-deserved five wicket haul and the Aussies will soon set off in pursuit of 201. Bird ended up with 5-59 from 17.1 and Pattinson 4-77 from 26. The rest of them struggled this afternoon. I’ll be back shortly with the start of Australia’s chase.
111th over: New Zealand 335-9 (Wagner 3, Boult 0)
Phil Withall had emailed in again moments before Henry perished. “This is compelling stuff,” he said. “I’m hoping for a century for Henry, a lead of 260 or so and the onset of a mysterious illness that will keep me out of work tomorrow.” Surely a simple google search by the boss would have you in trouble, Phil? If that’s your real name... Anyway, Hazlewood huffs, puffs and and shoots a lot of dirty looks, but he’s just too good to take Wagner’s edge and not straight enough to hit his pegs. Could be a hint there.
110th over: New Zealand 335-9 (Wagner 3, Boult 0)
Once again Jackson Bird has done the job for Australia and with this wicket maiden, he now has 4-59 from his 17 overs and all the key breathroughs today.
WICKET! Henry b Bird 66 (New Zealand 335-9)
Henry is robbed of his fairytale hundred! A ludicrous statement? Sure, but what a gem of a knock it was. The returning Jackson Bird cleans him up, neck and crop, but he’s caused real pain for the Aussies in the last few hours and thanks to the efforts of he and Watling, New Zealand hold a 200-run lead and a realistic chance of winning this Test.
109th over: New Zealand 335-8 (Henry 66, Wagner 3)
Here we go. Pattinson charges in to Wagner and tails one away beautifully to pass the outside edge. Wagner works a couple through gully to stretch New Zealand’s lead past 200 and into dangerous psychological territory for the tourists. Hazlewood looks like someone stole the jam from his donut.
108th over: New Zealand 333-8 (Henry 66, Wagner 1)
New man Neil Wagner gets off the mark by turning a single down to fine leg and it’s probably worth reflecting now not only on the value of that partnership but the fact that so many batsmen in this match have been caught at square leg. It’s like a junior match. Anyway, Henry keeps his superb knock going by heaving Pattinson across the line for a straight boundary. The bowler looks personally affronted by the sight of it. New Zealand lead by 198.
WICKET! Watling c Burns b Pattinson 46 (New Zealand 328-8)
Pattinson gets Watling! Well, that took an age and came completely against the momentum of this game, but Watling shuffles back and chips a low catch to Burns at square leg, thus ending a 118-run partnership that has put New Zealand in with a chance of winning this Test. Hats off, BJ.
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107th over: New Zealand 328-7 (Watling 46, Henry 62)
Henry deserves his luck at this point and he gets a bit when a swipe to leg off Hazlewood tickles off the inside edge and slams into the fence at fine leg. His highest first class scored is 75 not out and he’s looking good to pass that with interest at the moment. If he makes it to 100 I propose that every child born today in New Zealand be named Matt or Henry, even the girls.
106th over: New Zealand 324-7 (Watling 46, Henry 58)
You know, it’s actually fortunate that Umpire Martinesz is maintaining his sense of humour here because looking again at that Hazlewood appeal late in the last over, he’d be well within his rights to tell the Australian to pull his head in. It was a terrible shout, not only hitting the bat but missing leg by at least another full set of stumps. With only a single from this Pattinson over New Zealand lead by 189.
105th over: New Zealand 323-7 (Watling 46, Henry 57)
I’ll say one thing of Josh Hazlewood today, he’s certainly remained inventive. Totally against the run of things he produced a screaming in-swinger here to trouble Henry but a ball later the Kiwi pastes him through cover for another boundary. This is getting crazy now. He looks good for a hundred. I don’t want to go the early crow but he could be a national hero by tomorrow night if he backs it up by ripping through the Australian top order and denying them the No1 spot in the world rankings. Hazlewood is reduced to frankly absurd appeals that suggest he no longer has any concept of the LBW rule.
Henry brings up his first half-century in Tests!
104th over: New Zealand 316-7 (Watling 46, Henry 50)
James Pattinson has been an angry and wicketless man today. One begets the other I suppose. He’s grunting and groaning some more as he unleashes on Henry but it’s most for show – he’s well down on his maximum pace. Henry knows it and clatters him through the off side to move within a single of his first half-century in Test cricket, which he brings up the next ball. It took him 75 balls and featured 9 fours and you can’t imagine he’ll ever score a more valuable one. It pushes the lead to 181 and his side is now a huge show of forcing an upset.
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103rd over: New Zealand 311-7 (Watling 46, Henry 45)
Okay, we’re back after tea with the New Zealand pair looking to heap further misery on the Australian bowlers, who earlier looked like they’d limit it to a sub-100 chase for the batsmen but now face a deficit of 176 and counting. Josh Hazlewood starts with a maiden. Me? I’m sweating away in Melbourne’s sweltering heat at OBO Central to bring you this action. I hope you’re thankful for my sacrifice.
Some joy for you in the tea break
And thank you to Adam Collins for drawing my attention to Jeremy Coney’s 1980s coaching video, featuring Chris “Problem Child” Harris and a lot of seemingly unnecessary horseplay. It’s basically the most bonkers family home video I’ve ever seen. That’s all I’ll say.
Tea on day four - New Zealand are right in this! They lead by 176
102nd over: New Zealand 311-7 (Watling 46, Henry 45)
There’s almost comical scenes here as Steve Smith dashes from slip to leg slip every time Watling shapes to play a sweep shot off Lyon. He does so off Lyon’s third delivery to pick up two and make it a 100-run partnership from 123 deliveries. Magic for New Zealand. And that is that for the session. Henry and Watling have pulled off a minor miracle here to haul their side back into it.
This session started brilliantly for Australia with 3 cheap wickets but the Watling-Henry partnership threatens disaster for their attempt at attaining the World No1 ranking. Can they turn it around after tea?
101st over: New Zealand 308-7 (Watling 43, Henry 45)
BJ Watling continues to do his thing and spears Marsh’s second ball wide of gully for another boundary to keep things moving New Zealand’s way. His and Henry’s partnership is now 88 runs strong.
New Zealand lead by 173 with seven minutes to go until tea on day four.
100th over: New Zealand 303-7 (Watling 38, Henry 45)
Lyon is tempting Henry forward with a bit of extra trajectory at the start of this over but soon resorts to the flatter fare that has failed to take a wicket of late. Eventually Henry can’t resist a dash at him and belts the spinner over his head for another four to move New Zealand past 300. All of a sudden it seems possible that he’s playing a match-winning knock.
99th over: New Zealand 299-7 (Watling 38, Henry 41)
As Brendan Julian launches into the 832nd tale of Mitchell Marsh bowling to the Australians in the nets when he was a young boy, Henry gets lucky with an edge through the vacant cordon region and picks up four. He and Watling have now doubled New Zealand’s lead from the point at which they came together, a factor that is rubbed in when Henry clumps a filthy slog through cover for two more. He’s 41 now. What times. New Zealand lead by 164.
98th over: New Zealand 291-7 (Watling 37, Henry 34)
Lyon’s momentarily stopped the tide of runs, especially when Henry is on strike, but there’s still no wicket for the spinner. Australia can’t take a trick right now. They’ll be very happy for the break in momentum that tea might bring.
97th over: New Zealand 290-7 (Watling 36, Henry 34)
Matt Henry is jovial and relaxed as he wanders about in between facing deliveries in this Marsh over. He’s giving off the vibe that he’s settled in for the rest of the day, even if fieldsman hem him in at every angle as the Aussies seek their breakthrough. His side now lead by 155. That’s officially an ask for the tourists.
96th over: New Zealand 289-7 (Watling 35, Henry 34)
Right on cue Nathan Lyon appears with his offies. Watling laps him for one and then Henry pulls hard into the foot of Joe Burns at short leg before collecting a single as well. The Kiwi pair are having a ball out there as the Australian bowlers tire.
95th over: New Zealand 286-7 (Watling 33, Henry 33)
Plenty more action in the Marsh over when a throaty LBW appeal against Watling ends in not only disinterest from umpire Martinez but deflects down the leg side for four leg byes. New Zealand lead by 151. How much is Steve Smith worrying right now? Could be time for some spin.
94th over: New Zealand 280-7 (Watling 32, Henry 32)
Watling starts the Bird over with two and then creams a late, square drive between point and gully to pick up four. He’s been very valuable to his side in this game, contributing in excess of 80 runs so far in addition to his sturdy glovework. To reemphasise that he turns another attractive boundary wide of mid-wicket. New Zealand now lead by 145 with half an hour to go before tea. Australia is now officially desperate for a wicket as the partnership reaches 70 at a run a ball.
93rd over: New Zealand 270-7 (Watling 22, Henry 32)
In a sign that this partnership is getting well out of hand, Mitchell Marsh appears with the task of forcing of a breakthrough. He almost does it too when he goes within millimetres of Henry’s pegs as the Kiwi takes a fresh air swipe and then a catching chance falls just short of Warner at short cover. It’s a maiden from Marsh and an over brimming with possibilities, which is more than you could say about his mates’ efforts in the last hour.
92nd over: New Zealand 270-7 (Watling 22, Henry 32)
Whatever can go wrong is going wrong for the tourists now and when the returning Bird is clipped out to the rope by Watling, Joe Burns slips in the act of cutting it off and lets it trickle through for four. The only saving grace is that the fieldsman didn’t crock himself because he’ll be needed with the bat this afternoon and possibly tomorrow morning. New Zealand lead by 135. To quote Al Michaels, do you believe in miracles?
91st over: New Zealand 264-7 (Watling 16, Henry 32)
Hazlewood has a slip, a short leg and a leg gully to Henry, who is ducking effectively to evade a searing bouncer early in the over and better still is when he rocks back and hooks another down to the fence to bring up both his highest Test score and a 50-run partnership with BJ Watling. What a moment to do it. He rubs it in further cracking a half-tracker to the pickets at deep square leg. Australia’s bowlers are losing the plot in the last half an hour. New Zealand lead by 129.
90th over: New Zealand 256-7 (Watling 16, Henry 24)
It’s more than a little agricultural but Henry is highly effective in slogging Pattinson over cover and then nicking him high over the slips for a precious pair of boundaries. The latter results in a fly third man, which seems a little bit reactive. The burly Kiwi paceman is playing a gem of an innings here to push the lead out to 121. The partnership is 46 runs strong.
That's the first time anyone's fielded at third man since Howard was PM. #NZvAUS
— Adam Zwar (@adamzwar) February 23, 2016
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89th over: New Zealand 246-7 (Watling 16, Henry 15)
He’s battled his way back from an awful start to his spell and now Hazlewood thinks he’s trapped Watling in front, but replays reveal that it looked both high and wide of leg stump. Doesn’t stop him launching a spirited appeal though. Hasn’t been his finest hour, this fourth day. Watling pulls nicely for one and there’s two to Henry, who looks increasingly competant in this handy 36-run partnership. It’s given New Zealand a lead of 111 and counting.
88th over: New Zealand 242-7 (Watling 15, Henry 12)
Pattinson’s almost bursting a gasket here as he bustles in and throws himself into a variety of bouncers from around the wicket but for all his grunting and grimacing, Watling negotiates a hostile over well and goes to the drinks break with his side holding a 107-run lead. That’s more than handy considering the collapse of half an hour ago. He and Henry have recovered well since then.
87th over: New Zealand 242-7 (Watling 15, Henry 12)
A maiden for Hazlewood and a good thing it is too because I’m having a few technical difficulties. Having applied the age-old “turned it off and turn it on again” principal of IT, I think I’m now good to go.
86th over: New Zealand 242-7 (Watling 15, Henry 12)
A maiden for Pattinson. Peter [name redacted] has written in. “Afternoon from sunny Auckland. You turn your back on the game for 20 minutes and it all turns to custard! I’m trying to be good and do some work from home while I’m off with laryngitis but after supervising stout Black Cap resistance before lunch I am thinking of reprioritising my work. Shame Ross Taylor is out, one of my favourite cricketers and would have been a key man in this game. P.S. shout out to anyone from Bideford, Littleham and Westward Ho! Cricket Club who happens to be tuning in.”
85th over: New Zealand 242-7 (Watling 15, Henry 12)
Four more! This time it’s Watling shuffling forward and deflecting an edge down to the rope at third man. Then there’s two and a whole bunch of dots. But no wicket. That means the lead has stretched to 107. We’re officially into the territory that makes you nervous if you’re the Aussies.
"Who's the third umpire?" yells a man in the crowd as Hazlewood comes back into the attack. #NZvAUS
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) February 23, 2016
85th over: New Zealand 236-7 (Watling 9, Henry 12)
He’s been an angry man today but Josh Hazlewood is back with the prospect of cleaning up the tail. Bit harsh on Jackson Bird the Haze is Australia’s man, it appears. Matt Henry disagrees with that and clubs him high and straight for a welcome boundary following Watling’s three. A few more twos and it’s an expensive over from Hazlewood. Pretty much the opposite of what was required by his skipper.
New Zealand lead by 101 now, by the way.
84th over: New Zealand 225-7 (Watling 6, Henry 4)
Pattinson’s next starts with a very handy four leg byes for the Kiwis when the big quick whangs it down the leg side. That’s the only score of the over.
“It would appear that the Australians spent the lunch break seething at the perceived injustice of that failed appeal just before the break,” says Phil Withall. “It seems to have given them added motivation. Could it be that the, inevitable, cut in their match fees turns out to be a small price to pay?” If you ask them, I know what the answer will be. And do percentage-of-match-fee fines really deter bad behaviour from people who earn as much as they do? My idea that couldn’t and never would be implemented: leave the effects mics on and let the verbals be judged in the court of public opinion.
83rd over: New Zealand 221-7 (Watling 6, Henry 4)
This is a far less eventual over from Bird than his last and Watling gets off the mark with a cautious drive through cover, which gets him two. A quick scan of my inbox reveals that it was Robert McLiam Wilson’s fault that Williamson got himself out. “There’s been a lot of silly chat about Williamson in his last few matches,” he said, “a wretched huddle of dreary gainsayers suggesting he’d been found out. Wonder what they’ll say now? This is a fabulously good proper cricket innings.” Bob, mate...
Watling finishes the over with a crisp flick off the pads and it races away to the rope at deep mid wicket. New Zealand lead by 86.
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82nd over: New Zealand 215-7 (Watling 0, Henry 4)
Pattinson has probably been champing at the bit as the wickets have been tumbling and now gets his chance with the new ball. Henry shows him a straight bat outside off stump and deflects him through gully for a boundary. The hope here is that he and the rest of the tail can have a bit of a dash and set an awkward target in the region of 120-150. You never know. It’s 80 at the moment. Early indications are that Henry won’t perish wondering what might have been.
81st over: New Zealand 210-7 (Watling 0, Henry 0)
The Bird over ends and for all New Zealand’s resistance of the first session they’re falling like nine pins now. Henry is the new man at the crease.
WICKET! Southee c Smith b Bird 0 (New Zealand 210-7)
Bird gets Southee too! It’s carnage at Hagley Oval. Southee survives his first ball from the paceman but gets a thick edge on the next and Steve Smith makes no mistake with the catch at second slip. Australia are all over the home side now.
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WICKET! Williamson b Bird 97 (New Zealand 210-6)
Bird claims Williamson 3 short of his ton! What a screamer that was too, jagging in viciously off the seam of the new ball to castle the Black Caps star and splitting his defences magnificently. Just prior to the wicket Williamson had been struck in a very awkward spot on his back thigh with a similar delivery and now he’s on his way! That’s huge for the Aussies. Two new men at the crease and a slender lead of 75 for New Zealand. Poor Williamson, he really did deserve a ton there.
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80th over: New Zealand 208-5 (Williamson 95, Watling 0)
James Pattinson comes on to replace Lyon and fire down a few looseners before the arrival of the new ball. He’s tailing it back in to the right handers and Williamson works a single but that’s the only damage.
@rustyjacko I sometimes like to think you're playing the oboe while doing the OBO.
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) February 23, 2016
If anyone would like to start a crowdfunding campaign to buy me an oboe, by all means...
79th over: New Zealand 207-5 (Williamson 94, Watling 0)
Black Caps keeper BJ Watling is the new batsman and like Anderson before him, he’s likely to have been asked for a far calmer innings than his first innings run-spree. He was like Diet McCullum then, whacking everything within reach. Bird fires an in-swinging yorker towards his toe and leaps into the air with an appeal but replays show it was in fact the jammed-down bat it’d hit. It’s easy to criticise after replays but based on that one, it looked a ludicrous shout.
WICKET! Anderson b Bird 40 (New Zealand 207-5)
Bird gets Anderson! And luck’s a fortune, because it wasn’t the greatest ball of his spell – short and wide outside off stump though tempting the previously patient Anderson into a false stroke when he clips an inside edge back into his timber. The Kiwi rocks his head back in disappointment and waits for confirmation of the front foot landing, but he’s soon on his way. That’s a big breakthrough before the arrival of the new ball. New Zealand lead by 72 but the Aussies might fancy a quick kill here.
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78th over: New Zealand 207-4 (Williamson 94, Anderson 40)
Lyon knows he’s only got a couple more overs here, what with the new ball due. I think he’s probably been under-bowled today all things considered. This time he’s moving in to Anderson with Smith at slip, Voges at short cover and Burns under the helmet at short leg. There’s five dots and then to the possible chagrin of Williamson, a single down to long off from the final delivery.
77th over: New Zealand 206-4 (Williamson 94, Anderson 39)
Williamson’s withdrawn somewhat from his first-over flourishes and his batting suddenly matches the grim, grey clouds hovering around the ground. Well, at least until the last delivery of this Bird over, which teases him outside off stump and draws a false stroke when the Kiwi gun unfurls an ambitious cover drive. Bird has to be content with beating the outside edge.
76th over: New Zealand 206-4 (Williamson 94, Anderson 39)
Bad news as Nathan Lyon starts this over, with rain slowly moving across from neighbouring Sydenham. “That’s where the weather comes from,” is Simon Doull’s take. In brighter news, Corey Anderson breaks the shackles by getting down the track to Lyon and stroking a lovely boundary along the deck out to cow corner.
75th over: New Zealand 202-4 (Williamson 94, Anderson 35)
Jackson Bird is the other man tasked with extracting some reverse swing or any other life from the old ball after the break, though the new one due in five overs. There’s not much movement in the air but a gentle little jag back in towards the right-handed Williamson off the pitch. The bowler also retains a jaunty spring in his follow-through, bouncing around like a kid running towards the tree on Christmas morning.
You know what else? Replays of the Williamson DRS incident not only confirm the inside edge but also the unfortunate truth that instead of manically appealing for the LBW, Steve Smith should have moved in further from slip and caught the balooning ball. If he did so it might actually have been out.
74th over: New Zealand 202-4 (Williamson 94, Anderson 35)
Okay, we’re back live now with Nathan Lyon wheeling away. Williamson’s straight into him, driving two and then three to move into the nervous 90s and shift his side past the 200 mark. As per the tone of the first session, Corey Anderson determinedly sees off the rest of the over without scoring. He’s very switched on today.
And you know who was on hand to see that DRS contretemps?
If I was a betting man, I think the captain and bowler might have a bit of explaining to do later...
Let’s be honest, these things normally even out as well
Williamson gets the reverse Lyon from Adelaide. Kiwis are certain to win from here. #CouldHaveHitAnything #NZvAUS
— Tony Tea (@AfterGrogBlog) February 22, 2016
Hello OBOers!
Russell Jackson here to take you through the entire afternoon in what’s turning out to be an absorbing second Test in Christchurch. Who would have thought that Hagley Oval, with its backdrop of rolling mountains and lush, green, tree-lined streets, would be the scene of the messy imbroglio between Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood and umpire Ranmore Martinesz that we saw just before lunch was called? I get the feeling we’ll hear a lot more on that in the next few days but from where I was sitting, it sounded very much like Hazlewood used a word that starts with “f”, ends with “uck”, and doesn’t facilitate the fighting of fires.
Otherwise, my great takeaway from the morning session was that Corey Anderson has another gear as a batsman. He was as belligerent as ever in the first dig but today he’s channelled his inner Chris Tavare, calmly occupying the crease and making sure he’s there for Kane Williamson so that New Zealand might set the tourists a tricky chase. We’ll be there for all of it in the next five hours or so.
Lunch - New Zealand lead by 62 on the second innings
Brilliant session for New Zealand, who are now 197-4, on from 121-4 overnight. They’ve had some good fortune, and the scoring hasn’t been flying, but they’ve stayed in. Williamson has a very important century in sight, on 89, and Anderson has scored a mostly stubborn and always vital 35 from 129 balls.
Australia will be frustrated - they’ve bowled exceptionally for long periods, swung the ball, hit the pads, got the edges, and haven’t been able to break through. Two catches missed, a couple of very close leg-before shouts that haven’t quite lined up all the required components.
It could still all change very quickly - one wicket and Australia could easily be chasing under 100 to win. New Zealand need to get at least another 100 from here to be a chance, and more like 150 to 200.
That’s it from me, Geoff Lemon out, Russell Jackson to take up the pots and pans after the sandwich interval.
One of the best things about Kane Williamson's batting is how many of his edges drop short behind the wickets. Hands like pillows #NZvAUS
— Nick (@SharlandNM) February 22, 2016
73rd over: New Zealand 197-4 (Williamson 89, Anderson 35)
First ball of the Hazlewood over causes consternation, and the Australians are annoyed again. The bowler has gone right-arm around the wicket to Anderson as of his last over, then stayed around to the right-handed Williamson.
Hard to get an lbw from that position, but he nearly does - a swinging yorker that hits Williamson on the ankle. May have been missing leg stump, or even pitched outside, but the Australians were absolutely roaring for that appeal, they were jumping around like one of those videos of a litter of puppies.
Umpire says no, Australians go upstairs with only a few overs to go until they get their reviews back. There’s a slight Hot Spot mark on the toe of the bat, but it’s not really conclusive whether that came from hitting the ground or the ball, which might have got under it.
Nonetheless, the third umpire says he hit it, and so doesn’t go through the HawkEye lbw tracking. The Australians are very annoyed about this. Probably they’ll be more annoyed when they go in at lunch to learn that the ball-tracking showed three red lights coming up on the leg-before.
Did he hit it first? Maybe.
That’s lunch. Matthew Smith, who may or may not be a member of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, emails in: “Thanks for the excellent commentary this morning. Too absorbing given I’m trying to follow along as best I can through work at a desk in Sydney. In that spirit, and continuing the great NZ indie pop drinks breaks numbers of the past few days, can I suggest this great Unknown Mortal Orchestra song for all of us on our smart devices.”
You can. Good tune.
72nd over: New Zealand 196-4 (Williamson 88, Anderson 35)
Again, Williamson leaves Anderson in trouble, a binge eater in front of a cheese platter. He carves off a wedge of camembert, hitting Lyon in the air again, through cover for two. Then takes a single in the same area, before Williamson turns one square as he’s done all day.
71st over: New Zealand 192-4 (Williamson 87, Anderson 32)
Hazlewood another quiet over, just the Anderson single down to fine leg, and an appeal against Williamson for a ball that clipped the pad rather than bat through to the keeper.
70th over: New Zealand 191-4 (Williamson 87, Anderson 31)
How much more of this temptation can Anderson take? And why would Williamson take a single from the first ball of a Lyon over, thereby exposing his partner to it? Is this the toughest of tough love?
Five balls, Anderson has to face. Five balls. He gets through four, then lashes at the last one, and gets a risky airborne run down the ground.
69th over: New Zealand 189-4 (Williamson 86, Anderson 30)
More frustration for Hazlewood. Anderson blocks out the first three balls, is beaten comprehensively by the fourth, then slams the fifth through cover for four.
68th over: New Zealand 185-4 (Williamson 86, Anderson 26)
Anderson will not be tempted. Takes a single from Lyon from the third ball of the over, and gets away from danger. Williamson blots out the rest.
67th over: New Zealand 184-4 (Williamson 86, Anderson 25)
Williamson is... well, you want to say dropped. Maybe not quite, the edge was dying as it went towards Nevill, but he didn’t get forward to it. More frustration for Hazlewood, the keeper could have done better with that. Everyone is struggling to pick up the ball in this gloom.
66th over: New Zealand 184-4 (Williamson 86, Anderson 25)
Lyon to Anderson, this is like leaving a bottle of malt liquor out in front of a 30-day pin man. He blocks out the maiden.
65th over: New Zealand 184-4 (Williamson 86, Anderson 25)
Hazlewood returns, but nothing has changed. First Williamson plays with the swing to drop a single, then Anderson is beaten but not dismissed, then Anderson finds a run to escape strike.
Really interesting discussion on the radio of the 1868 indigenous Australian team that toured England, from historian Anthony Condon who’s been researching it.
64th over: New Zealand 182-4 (Williamson 85, Anderson 24)
Williamson takes an easy single, worked with the turn in toward the right-hander. Anderson tries to take a really hard single, going down on one knee and trying to ramp Lyon over the keeper.
For a left-hander with the ball turning away, not a great shot? Especially when instead of hitting it, he gloves it into his own face.
63rd over: New Zealand 181-4 (Williamson 84, Anderson 24)
What bliss, Ruth Purdue will be in raptures. Williamson square drives beautifully for three. Anderson plays at a wide ball again from Marsh, has done so a few times today against the seamers, and inside-edges a run. Williamson tucks one square with far less danger.
The overs slowly grow more profitable for New Zealand. The lead is up to 46. This is very promising. Even another hundred would make some sort of game of this, given the conditions we’ve seen today.
62nd over: New Zealand 176-4 (Williamson 80, Anderson 23)
Williamson has worked out Lyon for the time being, as the premier spinner hits a length a bit too short during this over. Three times in the set, Williamson goes back on his stumps and pulls or nudges behind square, first for a double, then a couple of singles. In between those latter two, Anderson pushes his own run to the off-side.
61st over: New Zealand 171-4 (Williamson 76, Anderson 22)
Anderson is absolutely doing the job he needs to do for the moment, blocking and leaving and blocking and leaving. Williamson needs his support, and this constant blind wrestle with Anderson’s pysche goes on, as he tries to suppress the urge to wallop someone’s bowling into the sightscreen or into the hands of a fieldsman.
I can’t just post random praise, can I? Oh, maybe a bit. If someone else sends mean emails I’ll publish them too. Do your worst.
“What bliss,” emails Robert Wilson, “it’s the OBO dream team of Lemon ‘n Jacko. Reminds of the good old days when everyone wore Bryclreem in their hair and no one locked their doors at night. I hope the Kiwis really grind it out like it’s 1959 and give you a chance to meander about, talking of quiffs and seagulls. I can’t get enough of that.”
I think we’ve already had one quiff reference today. No gulls as yet, but plenty of Bird. And a Lyon, making them a griffin in combination. And a shedload of Kiwis. The question is what a quiff made of feathers looks like.
60th over: New Zealand 171-4 (Williamson 76, Anderson 22)
Lyon is the bowler to continue, dropping the off-bombs nicely, but Williamson is deep in the Zen Trench and cannot be moved.
59th over: New Zealand 171-4 (Williamson 76, Anderson 22)
Interesting - it’s Bird who has been dragged, not Mitch Marsh, but Marsh has changed ends thanks to Lyon. Unless they’re both changing ends and Lyon is the one not required? Who knows! This great celestial globe of mystery carries on hurtling through space, with us its captives!
“Morning Geoff,” emails Ruth Purdue, bless her capacious heart. “Thoughts on Williamson? I like his style. Always loved someone who can grind and just bat all day. But when he goes for it, fireworks.”
Williamson is honey and sunlight, Ruth. He’s the babble of a distant brook. He’s the cool touch of a hand on your fevered brow. His cut, his late cut, his cover drive are things of pure beauty. But he has mongrel, too, and he’s shown he can adapt to conditions around the world.
This over he runs a couple of byes from a ball that goes past his heel and is fumbled by Nevill due to its width, then turns the inswinger to the on-side for a run. Anderson continues showing restraint at the other end.
58th over: New Zealand 168-4 (Williamson 75, Anderson 22)
Lyon is on. He got Anderson for 72 in the first dig, from a filthy slog-sweep that went up in the air. Trying to tempt him again, but Anderson cannot be moved, defending six in a row with utmost application.
Broadcaster Danae Gibson talking to Pobjie on comms. “Once upon a time this would have been a rest day. Do you remember those?”
“Yes, early in my cricket-watching career we would have rest days. So that the West Indies, after bowling fifty overs of bouncers, could put their feet up and recover before bowling another fifty overs of bouncers.”
Updated
57th over: New Zealand 168-4 (Williamson 75, Anderson 22)
Hazlewood and Pattinson had the length all morning, Bird and Marsh have not. Marsh was too full, Bird now too short, twice in a row, and Williamson has such a good read of this pitch’s pace that he pulls both of them for four!
Lovely stuff, especially the second one from a slightly higher bouncer, face-high, and Williamson took it off his grill and split two outfielders waiting on the top-edged hook. Surely your field would be better employed in the cordon in these conditions?
56th over: New Zealand 160-4 (Williamson 67, Anderson 22)
Mitch Marsh on for the double change. Williamson doesn’t mind, driving a couple down the ground, then clouting four runs in the same direction. Just over-pitched from Marsh with the first two, though the boundary shot did go in the air for a while.
Marsh doesn’t adjust quickly enough, and Williamson flicks two more through midwicket, then repeats the shot for one. Nine from the over, a very profitable one given this morning’s grind.
55th over: New Zealand 151-4 (Williamson 58, Anderson 22)
Jackson Bird into the action for the first time today, giving Hazlewood a break after five overs on the spin. He’s swinging the ball immediately too. But Williamson is equal to that now, waiting for the single from the ball short enough to provide it.
54th over: New Zealand 150-4 (Williamson 57, Anderson 22)
Pattinson bangs on in at Williamson’s legs, and it runs off the pad for four leg byes. The easiest runs a batting team can gather. Then Williamson turns a ball straight through Burns at short leg. Literally between his legs, between his hands, between everything. Burns was standing up a bit high and couldn’t get down in time.
Single. The 150 ticks by. Survival continues.
In other Corey news, there’s an absolute Corey confluence here when you consider his preferred shot and the conditions in which he’s playing them.
Green pitch? Swing bowling? No problem. Corey Anderson has a... pic.twitter.com/Vd2zsWhhno
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) February 22, 2016
53rd over: New Zealand 145-4 (Williamson 56, Anderson 22)
Williamson still playing late, carefully taking the single from Hazlewood. Anderson gets one on the leg glance, then Williamson taps one run into the covers. The lead is up to 15.
Every time I hear Jonathan Howcroft’s Yorkshire accent saying “Corey Anderson” on the radio, I picture a polite Japanese speaker addressing some coriander.
Updated
52nd over: New Zealand 142-4 (Williamson 54, Anderson 21)
Another review! This time a bowling one. Pattinson’s lbw appeal is given not out by Umpire Kettleborough, and the replays show Anderson squeezing the ball between bat and pad almost simultaneously. Sufficiently simultaneous that overturning the decision is impossible. New Zealand hanging in...
Nice inswinger from Pattinson, Anderson clips it nicely but Burns puts in the rainbow dive at midwicket and saves the run.
Then he’s dropped! Pattinson can’t get lucky. Marsh took a screamer from Pattinson’s bowling in the first innings off a no-ball, but this time from the legitimate delivery he’s missed it.
Anderson drove with power, thick edge that went at head height just by Marsh, and he was a split second slow to get his hands up. The ball burst through for four, that’s how much power Anderson put behind it, but it was a stupid shot in the circumstances.
Guess how you get yourself out in helpful swing conditions against good fast bowling with a slip cordon in?
51st over: New Zealand 138-4 (Williamson 54, Anderson 17)
This is a mighty spell from Josh Hazlehoff. He’s still shifting it, he’s still jagging it, and twice in the over Williamson edges.
New Zealand’s key batsman though knows enough about these conditions. He knows he needs to survive this period and then the ball should stop shifting so much later in the day. So he’s going as softly as he can at the ball, which means both the edges run along the ground.
50th over: New Zealand 138-4 (Williamson 54, Anderson 17)
Pattinson has another mighty appeal, but this one is turned down. A yorker hitting Anderson’s pad, but pitching outside the left-hander’s leg stump. I nearly wrote “the leg-hander’s left stump”, which would have been confusing.
Pattinson’s ire had been raised the previous ball, the first of the over, that Anderson clumped down the ground, along the grass, for four.
That’s New Zealand in the lead! Australia will currently have to chase: three.
Anderson practises his leave thereafter, as Pattinson channels outside his off stump.
Updated
49th over: New Zealand 134-4 (Williamson 54, Anderson 13)
Short ball, and Williamson belts it away on the pull shot for four. Wasn’t timed though, it would have been an easy take for midwicket had there been one.
Williamson is given out! But overturns it on review. Hazlewood swung the ball into him, it seamed towards his pads viciously, and took a massive inside edge before hitting him in front. Umpire Martinez fired him, but Williamson challenged immediately.
That’s the scenario that the DRS exists for - it was a strange decision, I wonder if the gloomy light fooled Martinez, because the pad was well away from pad and the ball took several inches of deflection before hitting pad.
Hazlewood keeps trying to repeat the dose, and Williamson keeps hanging back to gauge the movement and defend it with soft hands.
Updated
48th over: New Zealand 130-4 (Williamson 50, Anderson 13)
Pattinson too is swinging it everywhere, everywhere. Anderson is all at sea against a couple of these, though he leaves the last one well. A couple before that, he threw the entire kitchen at a wide ball that he missed.
47th over: New Zealand 130-4 (Williamson 50, Anderson 13)
Hazlewood again, but Anderson is able to get off strike with a simple nudge. Just as well perhaps, because Williamson may be better suited to deal with the rest of this over. It’s swinging, it’s moving, it’s threatening. Kane survives.
46th over: New Zealand 129-4 (Williamson 50, Anderson 12)
Pattinson is fast and swinging immediately, Williamson is equal to him immediately. A drive first ball for two runs, then a square drive for three to raise his half-century. That took 117 balls. The press corps strike an accord to use the adjective “watchful”.
That brings Anderson on strike, who edges along the ground to slip from a wallop. Can’t see him batting the two sessions NZ need from him. His next ball gets a run though, or three of them, driving the full ball down the ground.
Updated
45th over: New Zealand 121-4 (Williamson 45, Anderson 9)
Excellent first over from Hazlewood, goodness me. Beats Anderson like a filthy rug, about three times out of six. Anderson is trying to leave, trying to defend, then can’t resist slashing at a wide ball that he misses. A hint of reverse already?
Good morning from Hagrid Park. New Zealand resume this morning in a bit of a Harry situation, they got in a Muggle in their first innings and are now trying to recover. Steve Smith is eyeing off the Trans-Tasman trophy saying “That’s Hermione,” but the Kiwis retain hope of Weasleying their way out of trouble.
That would require a calm Hedwig on the shoulders of Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson, though the latter has a propensity to playing Dumbledore shots. It will be largely up to Williamson to wave his magic wand and resist the powerful spells of the Australians, and if he can’t, his team might Voldemort quickly than a fresh load of laundry.
I’ll hog the action, warts and all, for this first session - Geoff Lemon in the OBO chair, and now we only need your contribution via the email and Twitter lines. Fire at will. Gently. A cool, still, overcast day in Christchurch. NZ resume 14 runs behind in their second innings with six wickets in hand, and only BJ Watling to come with any batting pedigree. Can they set a target tough enough for Australia to chase?
Geoff will be here shortly, giving you just enough time to catch up on what happened at Hagley Oval on day three:
