Stumps on day two - Australia lead by 280 runs
What a day for Australia. What a day for Adam Voges. The visitors now lead by a whopping 280 runs and it will take something spectacular for New Zealand to save the match from here.
13 wickets fell on day one of this Test match; just three on the second. It should have been 14 of course yesterday but Voges was reprieved and he has cashed in. Boy has he cashed in. After 14 Tests the latecomer to Test cricket has an average above 100. A remarkable feat.
New Zealand toiled away today but only looked like consistently troubling Australia with the new ball. Before and after that ten over spell it was serene progress for Australia’s batsmen.
Sunday should herald a more dynamic day with Australia setting up a declaration at some point and then beginning the task of winkling out ten Black Caps on a flat pitch offering little in the air or off the seam.
Be sure to join us for more from the Basin Reserve tomorrow.
Updated
130th over: Australia 463-6 (Voges 176, Siddle 29)
Williamson to bring the day to a close. A day that has been a procession for Australia and Adam Voges in particular.
129th over: Australia 462-6 (Voges 175, Siddle 29)
Australia lead by 279 at the end of Anderson’s final over the day.
Voges is now up to 1000 minutes between Test dismissals.
128th over: Australia 459-6 (Voges 173, Siddle 28)
Should Voges fake an injury, retire not out, and then retire from cricket altogether?
Quick over from Williamson as the end of play rushes into view.
127th over: Australia 458-6 (Voges 172, Siddle 28)
The next major milestone is Voges’ Test average. At 172 not out he will, for that moment, average 100 in Test cricket. Siddle hogs the limelight this over though, cutting for four and then pulling for six, both off thick edges. Anderson’s task is a thankless one.
Voges to 172*
— Joshua Kay (@js_kay) February 13, 2016
So current Test average...
100.00 - Voges
99.94 - Bradman#NZvAUS
126th over: Australia 445-6 (Voges 170, Siddle 17)
Williamson to continue and everyone’s clock watching at the Basin Reserve now. Voges almost apologetically stroking a single after appearing happy to rush through an over of dots balls. That run brings up the 50 partnership.
125th over: Australia 444-6 (Voges 169, Siddle 17)
That boundary brought up Siddle’s 1000th Test run, becoming the 100th Australian to achieve that feat.
Anderson continuing his spell and his over includes one of the balls of the day. Predictably it fails to claim a wicket but a fast inswinging yorker made Voges hop at the crease.
Updated
124th over: Australia 443-6 (Voges 168, Siddle 17)
Kane Williamson belatedly brought into the attack with seven overs remaining in the day. Voges likes the look of his right-arm over the wicket off-spinners but can only pick up a single. Siddle looks far less at home but manages to beat the field with a swept boundary from the final delivery.
123rd over: Australia 438-6 (Voges 167, Siddle 13)
Southee resorting to fast leg theory tactics against Siddle. Some good cricket on show this over. Creative captaincy, good short-pitched bowling and nimble batting by Siddle to evade a few testing bumpers.
Do you think Voges is aware he’s closing in on a Test average of 100?
122nd over: Australia 436-6 (Voges 166, Siddle 12)
Corey Anderson to have another burst. Just the left-armer’s 11th over, a surprisingly light workload considering the other three seamers have all bowled at least 25 overs.
Jesse’s response below is to the question of Australians who have scored 1000 runs and taken 200 wickets at Test level. Peter Siddle is 10 runs away from the milestone.
7 Australians so far: RLindwall, RBenaud, MHughes, JGillespie, SWarne, BLee, MJohnson. Sidds would be No.8. #NZvAus https://t.co/teiS1rC9iw
— Jesse Hogan (@Jesse_Hogan) February 13, 2016
121st over: Australia 430-6 (Voges 161, Siddle 11)
Southee back into the attack and he beats Siddle all ends up. That sums up New Zealand’s match. Such a good ball incredibly misses Siddle’s edge and the stumps. Of course Siddle then goes and squirts an ungainly looking drive through point for a boundary.
Reassuringly, Southee’s shoulder looks fine.
Updated
120th over: Australia 426-6 (Voges 161, Siddle 7)
Another Mark Craig over, another boundary to Adam Voges. A century in boundaries now for the West Australian.
119th over: Australia 420-6 (Voges 156, Siddle 6)
Siddle grins like a hyena at Boult after missing an expansive drive. Another excellent change of pace goes unrewarded.
118th over: Australia 419-6 (Voges 155, Siddle 6)
Siddle opens his shoulders and lofts Craig towards the sightscreen. He didn’t get all of it but enough to reach the fence between the mid-on and mid-off fielders.
This iconic theme had to feature at some point, the only question being to what vision.
117th over: Australia 414-6 (Voges 154, Siddle 2)
Trent Boult is bowling well here for New Zealand. Unfortunately for him the guy at the other end has passed 150. He nearly deceives Voges with a slower ball but the batsman gets away with it.
13 overs remaining in the day. Australia’s lead is 231.
116th over: Australia 413-6 (Voges 153, Siddle 2)
Nervous moment for Tim Southee who looks like he might have damaged his shoulder diving for the ball on the boundary. He’s smiling gingerly now but that looked awkward for a few moments.
If Adam Voges scores 1372*, he'll average 200 in test cricket #NZvAUS
— Danny Ando (@dannyando84) February 13, 2016
115th over: Australia 410-6 (Voges 150, Siddle 2)
Voges has another opportunity to raise his bat, making it to 150. Never mind match milestones, Voges is now close to a career Test average of 100!
Any stattos out there to help Aman?
@JPHowcroft - given Mitch's failure, what is the Test average for next in bat after a 100/200 run stand?
— Aman Gaur (@AmanGaur23) February 13, 2016
114th over: Australia 405-6 (Voges 145, Siddle 2)
400 up for Australia which is greeted by a majestic straight drive from Voges, smacked on the up with control and timing through extra cover. That was Voges’ 243rd delivery faced.
Gawd love the Beige Brigade, still having fun in spite of the pummelling.
WICKET! Corey Corey Corey Corey Corey Corey Corey Anderson! He bats and bowls, he bowls and bats! @BLACKCAPS #NZvAUS
— #ACCSuperLeague (@TheACCnz) February 13, 2016
Updated
113th over: Australia 398-6 (Voges 139, Siddle 2)
Boult still bending his back and Voges still getting all the luck on offer at the Basin Reserve. Boult finds the inside edge, from around the wicket, but the ball somehow flies past the stumps rather than into them.
Time to remove that Mambo No. 5 earworm with some proper cricket music.
112th over: Australia 397-6 (Voges 138, Siddle 2)
That was the kind of delivery Nevill would have left had his wicket carried a higher premium. As it is, runs are the order of the day for Australia and Nevill can be forgiven to trying to press on. A good knock from Nevill though who looked good for his 32 and contributed well in a 96-run partnership that has really taken the game away from New Zealand.
It’s a longish tail now for Australia without Mitchells Johnson and Starc. Siddle the new man in after drinks.
WICKET! Nevill c Watling b Anderson 32 (Australia 395-6)
Corey Anderson to have a dart and he jags a wicket!
Left-arm over the wicket to Nevill who tries to cut but he’s cramped for room and edges through to Watling. Cheap dismissal for New Zealand, but they’ve earned a few.
111th over: Australia 393-5 (Voges 138, Nevill 30)
A change of vibe around the Basin Reserve as Trent Boult comes back into the attack, around the wicket to the right-handers. Voges doesn’t care who’s bowling right now, chopping a decent delivery down and over the gully for another boundary and then swiping a top-edged hook for four.
Back to the use of music in cricket. This was the sound of the British summer in the late 2000s. The Pogues it ain’t.
110th over: Australia 385-5 (Voges 130, Nevill 30)
Craig bowling around the wicket to Voges who has all the time in the world to play back and ride the slow gentle spin or advance and drive on the front foot. Chanceless attacking batting.
.@acvoges moves to 127* which means he has now scored 502 Test runs since being dismissed, a new record! #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/aiPK3bLtvN
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) February 13, 2016
109th over: Australia 382-5 (Voges 127, Nevill 30)
Bracewell’s length is getting erratic and Voges twice punishes him through the off side.
Australia lead by 199. 21 overs remaining in the day.
When Bracewell is at Kettleborough's end he evidently feels more confident pushing line than Illingworth's. #NZvAus pic.twitter.com/GDVKiq1VXb
— Jesse Hogan (@Jesse_Hogan) February 13, 2016
108th over: Australia 373-5 (Voges 119, Nevill 29)
Rapid over from Craig that Nevill wanted to do plenty with but succeeded in doing very little.
107th over: Australia 371-5 (Voges 119, Nevill 27)
Poor Doug Bracewell! He nearly grabs Adam Voges again but a violent flash outside off stump flies over the leaping Brendon McCullum at slip.
The lead grows to 188.
106th over: Australia 365-5 (Voges 114, Nevill 26)
Unlike Geoff, I do have access to the TV broadcast, and the use of The Pogues to accompany highlights packages is marvellous.
Love hearing a bit of the Pogues during the cricket. #NZvAUS
— Debbie Brown (@Tedsrobot) February 13, 2016
105th over: Australia 361-5 (Voges 112, Nevill 24)
There’s an element of nominative determinism to Doug Bracewell’s delivery stride. He really winds up tight and unloads powerfully at the crease. Unfortunately for him he can’t unsettle an Australian pair travelling serenely 22-yards away.
104th over: Australia 360-5 (Voges 112, Nevill 23)
Craig just cannon fodder now for this pair who work six more runs from the over.
This match is in one of those phases where, with only one team in it, it’s all about how quickly and firmly they want to assert their dominance. Less of a contest, more of a procession. In the meantime, here’s a lovely scoreboard.
Decent scoreboard here too. #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/2Cv9dZ8CQi
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) February 13, 2016
103rd over: Australia 354-5 (Voges 106, Nevill 23)
Doug Bracewell returns to the attack and he finds a nice line and length with some movement off the pitch into the right-handers. That prompts Nevill to try something funky to a shorter wider one that he fails to connect with; fortunately, as it looked like he was offering slip-catching practice.
Voges becomes the 3rd Australian in post-Bradman era to score tons in 3 consecutive Test inns. Gilchrist & Warner (twice) the others #nzvaus
— Brydon Coverdale (@brydoncoverdale) February 13, 2016
102nd over: Australia 352-5 (Voges 106, Nevill 21)
This partnership has now passed 50 and both batsmen are looking to attack Craig on a flat pitch in glorious sunshine. The lead now 169.
Voges will never average 100, you idiots.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) February 13, 2016
He'll get to 99.94, fake an injury and never play cricket again.
101st over: Australia 348-5 (Voges 103, Nevill 20)
Voges’ century arrived from 203 deliveries. One of those, you’ll remember, should have dismissed him last night. Since then it’s been an imperious display of Test match batting from the Australian number five, now averaging 94 at the highest form of the game. It is his fifth Test century and his fourth first-class century n consecutive matches.
Southee ploughs on while the crowd applauds Voges and he hurries up Nevill with a bumper that catches him on his right elbow and sternum. That one will sting the Australian keeper. Southee tries to repeat the dose later in the over but Nevill lets rip with a front foot pull that canters to the boundary. That was like watching Ricky Ponting.
As his average climbs ever higher, maybe we should think the unthinkable. Is Voges better? Is he better than Andy Ganteaume?? #NZvAUS
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) February 13, 2016
Century to Adam Voges!
100th over: Australia 343-5 (Voges 103, Nevill 16)
Mark Craig to support Southee and he drops a couple of long hops to help Voges surge through the nervous nineties. A full toss to complete the over completes the veteran’s century!
99th over: Australia 332-5 (Voges 92, Nevill 15)
Tim Southee to Adam Voges to open proceedings after lunch. 32 overs are to be bowled in this passage of play, meaning we should be done not far from the scheduled close of 5.30pm local time.
Are New Zealand still in this? With Australia’s lead hitting 148 with five wickets still in hand it will take a miracle for the tourists not to take a victory away from Wellington. They still have three days and a session to play so there’s rush to pile on the runs either.
Where do you see the match situation at tea on day two? Email your thoughts to: jonathan.howcroft@theguardian.com or send me a tweet @JPHowcroft.
Thanks Geoff, a marvellous back to back effort from you.
I’m still marvelling at Trent Boult’s effort from earlier.
Some cracking pics of Boult's blinder from @GettySport! Watch the replay here: https://t.co/BEWRaM6W5R #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/lZoOnmNqVk
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) February 13, 2016
Tea: Australia 330-5 lead by 147 in the first innings
98th over: Australia 330-5 (Voges 91, Nevill 15)
And that’s tea! Mark Craig bowls a maiden to Nevill.
That’s it from me, Geoff Lemon out and Jonathan Howcroft will take the reins for the final session. Thanks for your company.
97th over: Australia 330-5 (Voges 91, Nevill 15)
Nevill has kept the strike, of course. He’s just chilling, even when Southee has a totally unnecessary throw at the stumps in his follow-through.
Of course Nevill knocks a single to leg from the last ball.
Updated
96th over: Australia 329-5 (Voges 91, Nevill 14)
Tremendous application from Nevill, who defends on off stump, leaves outside off stump, and gets one straighter ball from Bracewell that he tucks away for three runs.
I hope he bats like this in the World T20.
95th over: Australia 326-5 (Voges 91, Nevill 11)
Even as we ramp up Ton Watch for Adam Voges, he still doesn’t look in control. His only scoring shot in Southee’s over is a big edge from a square wallop that lands safely over gully and gets him four.
The rest of the over he blocks and leaves, even getting beaten by a good one that moves.
94th over: Australia 322-5 (Voges 87, Nevill 11)
Peter Nevill is like Central Park in fall, all about the leaves. Happy to watch Bracewell’s deliveries go by, although one jags away off the seam and you could argue that Nevill tucking the bat inside the line was instead Nevill being beaten utterly by the movement. Another maiden.
93rd over: Australia 322-5 (Voges 87, Nevill 11)
Nifty Nevill’s first (intentional) boundary of the day, a short ball from Southee who has replaced Boult, and Nevill goes over point, confident in elevating that. Then a single late in the over to fine leg.
92nd over: Australia 317-5 (Voges 87, Nevill 6)
Bracewell yourself, laddie. Voges plays his shot of the day, an extra-cover drive that splits the synchronised dives of mid-off and cover, and rolls comfortably to the fence.
He drives nicely the next ball as well, dead straight, into the non-striker’s stumps. Bracewell flung out his foot, nimble as a ballerina, and so nearly kicked it into those timbers. Nevill would have been run out.
“That would have been his second-unluckiest recent run out,” says Andrew Donnison in my earphones, “after that Big Bash game where he was run out off his own bat via Adam Zampa’s face.” Poor Adam Zampa has been in the wars of late.
Updated
91st over: Australia 313-5 (Voges 83, Nevill 6)
In control, Peter Nevill. Having kept the strike, he decides he has a watching brief on the bowling of Trent Boult. He covers his stumps well, defends where required, leaves where able. It’s a maiden.
90th over: Australia 313-5 (Voges 83, Nevill 6)
New Zealand TV seems quite happy to replay the Bracewell non-no-ball hourly for the rest of the Test match. It will become an ongoing memorial replay, an eternal replay, projected on the wall of a shrine forevermore.
For those who’ve asked, I’m in the cricket ground in Wellington, so I can’t indulge in the traditional OBO activity of making fun of what happens on TV because there’s no sound. No radio headsets either. Hence quoting commentary from online stream White Line Wireless, as that’s what I can raise over the wifi. They’re currently discussing what Beyoncé would bowl. I suggest leg-spin, running backwards, in heels.
Nevill gets a single from Bracewell’s last ball. All six were legitimate deliveries. Nevill wanting to lay his own foundation, a la Voges. No rush! We have more than three days remaining.
Updated
89th over: Australia 312-5 (Voges 83, Nevill 5)
Boult still moving the ball, left-arm over the wicket, moving it in towards the right-handed batsman. But if Voges’ eye were any further in, it would have come out the other side. He keeps the ball at bay,a nd it’s a maiden.
88th over: Australia 312-5 (Voges 83, Nevill 5)
Bracewell quickly on to replace Southee, interesting move. He of course won New Zealand a Test against Australia in Hobart in 2011, and was key to so nearly pulling off that win in Adelaide last November. But hasn’t unduly threatened today.
A maiden over, Nevill happy to help us all calm down.
87th over: Australia 312-5 (Voges 83, Nevill 5)
Trent Boult made his luck last over, but didn’t get any this time. First Voges flicks a straighter ball for four, then he and Nevill, within three balls, both inside-edge past their stumps for singles.
Voges goes straighter down the ground for two to close the over. Currently averaging 92.58 in Test cricket.
This is wonderful work on Twitter from Alan. Love it when we get deep in the stats.
@GeoffLemonSport I did a s/sheet at 65th over, and they had 12 ropes from the last ball - only 2 from the 5th.
— Alan D (@oxo_alan) February 13, 2016
5rpo from only the 6th ball
86th over: Australia 304-5 (Voges 76, Nevill 4)
Now Voges is the man taking singles early in the over to let another man block. Nevill feeling his way, and Southee wants in on the wickets. Bowls one ripper that squeaks past the outside edge by a millimetre.
Decent batsman though Nevill, averages 41 in first-class cricket.
85th over: Australia 303-5 (Voges 75, Nevill 4)
A partnership of 168 broken with Boult’s first of the over, a partnership that set up Australia for the match with a lead of 116 and six wickets still in hand.
Then another, the double-wicket over the NZ so sorely needed.
They still require a crash of wickets and then a big second innings with the bat to get back in the game. But this is a ground where the third innings has had a recent habit of being substantial.
An edge from Nevill last ball of the over grubbers through slips and nets him four runs. And the 300 comes up. An eventful stanza, alright.
Updated
WICKET! Marsh c&b Boult 2
And another down, and another one down, another one bites the dust. Mitch Marsh survives an lbw review on his first ball, playing late and just nicking one into his pads, then plays early on his next ball and lifts the checked drive.
Sensational diving catch to his right by the bowler, who did a starjump flourish like a happy sheep leaping over a stile as he reeled in that take.
WICKET! Khawaja lbw Southee 140
The new ball works! Khawaja’s masterpiece comes to an end, Boult swinging one into his pads first ball of the over! He was back on his stumps, trying to read the movement and keep that out of his legs, but it rushed through, hit the bottom of both knee rolls with the pads together, and he was far enough back that Kettleborough looked up from his phone and said, sure fair enough.
84th over: Australia 299-3 (Khawaja 140, Voges 75)
Southee. Voges. Maiden.
83rd over: Australia 299-3 (Khawaja 140, Voges 75)
Unremarkable over from Boult, goes short a couple of times, doesn’t unduly threaten. Voges does his old trick of five dot balls before a single. Death by a thousand refusals to play the cut.
Alex Kupa on the email has done the leg-work that I wasn’t prepared to do. Since Smith’s dismissal, he says, 12 of the 27 boundaries have been scored from the last two balls of the over.
Not as egregiously skewed as I’ve made out, but that’s still almost half the fours coming from one third of the over.
82nd over: Australia 298-3 (Khawaja 140, Voges 74)
Southee moving it a touch as well. The ball angled too far down leg is put away by Voges for four, but Southee nearly gets Khawaja as one swings into the lefty’s pads, and is just about popped up to midwicket. Nicholls couldn’t get there on the dive. Khawaja goes straighter with the next for a couple.
81st over: Australia 291-3 (Khawaja 138, Voges 69)
Heeeeeere’s Boulty. The left-arm swing king, but the crowd sits uneasy as he dishes up a pavlova that Khawaja devours via his preferred cover drive.
The monarch gets more regal thereafter though, testing Khawaja outside the off stump with a variety of deliveries, shifting in trajectory through the air and off the pitch. Not unplayable, but enough to make it nervy.
80th over: Australia 287-3 (Khawaja 134, Voges 69)
NZ get through the first set of 80 with no further damage, finally a boundary-free over that only concedes a couple of singles. It’s shine time.
These updates from Gary Naylor re crowds on the ovals, albeit in the different environs of the county scene.
@GeoffLemonSport The crowd can wander round The Oval in county matches.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) February 13, 2016
@GeoffLemonSport In fact, the laissez-faire approach to managing T20 crowds in England is something I find surprising eg unlimited booze.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) February 13, 2016
79th over: Australia 285-3 (Khawaja 133, Voges 68)
Please, someone count these for me. For us. For posterity. That’s a fifth-ball boundary. Anderson around off stump for four balls, then Khawaja whips the straighter one through backward square leg.
How New Zealand crave the arrival of the 80th over.
Updated
78th over: Australia 281-3 (Khawaja 129, Voges 68)
And again. Stop taunting me. They trade singles from Craig’s over, nice and tidy, two from five balls, then the last is wider and Voges plays a late cut.
It should have been two runs, but Southee didn’t seem particularly interested in cutting off that ball, and it goes all the way.
77th over: Australia 275-3 (Khawaja 128, Voges 63)
They’re just doing this to taunt me. Maybe I have relevance deprivation syndrome up here but how can this be possible if they’re not reading the OBO?
An Anderson over to Khawaja. Five dot balls. Five decent lines outside off. Then a final ball that is wider, shorter, and more scoreder offer, cut for four.
76th over: Australia 271-3 (Khawaja 124, Voges 63)
Khawaja flicks a run, then there’s a big appeal as Voges cuts and misses. Mainly from slip. Not out. Is there a chance that ball moved the other way? I reckon it did! Mark Craig has bowled a doosra. Or maybe a toppy that went on, but it really seemed to grip.
Doesn’t spook the aggressive, assertive Voges though, ho ho, as he cuts the last ball of the over away for four.
I’d love someone to count how man of the 42 boundaries Australians have struck have come from the last two balls of an over.
75th over: Australia 266-3 (Khawaja 123, Voges 59)
Voges starts the over, defends, defends, defends, defends. Then eventually even he gets bored, and drives Anderson through cover for four.
74th over: Australia 262-3 (Khawaja 123, Voges 55)
Craig carrying on, as New Zealand look towards the new ball at 80 overs. Khawaja belts a full toss away for his 1000th Test run. Most of them in his last five Tests, I’d wager. Then a couple more flicked away to leg.
73rd over: Australia 255-3 (Khawaja 117, Voges 54)
Anderson bowls wide, and Voges edges through third man to raise a half-century. It’s one of the least convincing fifties I’ve watched live, and frankly it seems outlandish that he’s collected so many runs. But for all that he hasn’t looked assured, he still hasn’t looked much like getting out.
If Khawaja’s runs have seemed inevitable, Voges’ have had their own wobblier inevitability.
Anderson follows up that boundary by bowling a short ball that Voges pulls through fine leg for another not especially well-timed four.
72nd over: Australia 246-3 (Khawaja 117, Voges 46)
Khawaja wants a sharp single, Voges has to hurry to the striker’s end but gets there. Craig drops short, as he is wont to do, but Voges can only cut to point. Gets a run eventually.
He’s coming around the wicket, the off-spinner, with a short leg and a slip in position on the attack. Backward point, cover, mid-off, short midwicket, backward square leg are close. Long on and deep midwicket out.
71st over: Australia 244-3 (Khawaja 116, Voges 45)
Voges is a new man. Corey Anderson continues, he wasn’t just a pre-lunch flutter for his captain. But he bowls Voges one on leg that is easily glanced fine.
70th over: Australia 240-3 (Khawaja 116, Voges 41)
Lovely scenes at the lunch break, as the crowd is allowed to wander onto the field up to the roped-off centre wicket, examine the pitch at close quarters and generally enjoy the glorious and rare New Zealand sunshine.
I can’t imagine the over-administrators in Australia or England allowing that. What if someone sued them for something? “I got grass poisoning!”
Craig starts the formalities, and after Khawaja takes a run, Voges only waits for his second ball to do the same. He’s a new man with a sanger in him.
“If you’re gonna be Sassoon about it,” writes Robert Wilson, “this game is quite clearly the Battle of Leyte Gulf where the Japanese produced a green seamer but the US 3rd and 7th Fleets showed good discipline outside off. Of course this means that Steve Smith is happy-go-lucky Chester Nimitz and Brendon McCullum is the gloomy, bet-the-farm depressive, Admiral Suemo Toyoda. Both the latter blokes forgot that the other team get to bowl on it too.”
All those bouncers landing halfway down must have constituted the Battle of Midway, then.
Lunch - Australia lead by 55 in their first innings
They’ve taken that from a 36-run deficit to that 55-run lead with a patient session, Khawaja raising his hundred and batting fluently, Voges providing the hard graft, and most importantly neither of them being dismissed through the 29 overs.
Australia on top, although we do know that wickets can clatter at any time. Geoff Lemon here, send me a twitter thing or an email thing. I’m off to have some lunch, I’ll see you in a bit.
For sport stories in the meantime, you may want to listen to this scarcely believable podcast on The Dollop, telling the story of how Ten Cent Beer Night went horribly wrong (who would have thought?) at a Cleveland baseball game in the 1970s. Strong language warning issued.
69th over: Australia 238-3 (Khawaja 115, Voges 40)
Southee bowls and... four? Wait, who hit that? Voges? Are you sure?
He did! A flick through midwicket! It’s reached the boundary! Exclamation! I’m wearing out that part of the keyboard.
68th over: Australia 234-3 (Khawaja 115, Voges 36)
Giving Anderson a run before lunch - you might as well. Left-arm, burly, all-rounder. Williamson might have saved four first ball with a dive at gully.
Voges doesn’t mind who’s bowling. Leave, leave, defend. Finally a single from the last. I do appreciate the importance of defence in Test cricket, but I’m not sure why he needs to farm the strike while doing it.
On the other hand, Voges right now averages 89 in Test cricket.
67th over: Australia 232-3 (Khawaja 114, Voges 35)
Oh, Voges. He gets a run, but by accident. Edged through gully. Khawaja immediately puts him back in the misery of the striker’s crease with a single of his own. Voges blocks out the last four balls. Southee fumes.
Updated
66th over: Australia 230-3 (Khawaja 113, Voges 34)
Khawaja just tucks a single behind square from Craig. Then Voges stuns the crowd by taking one himself. Obviously I lied earlier about him hitting his groove. He now has 34 from 100. But don’t take my snark too seriously, he’s doing the sensible business of Test cricket as at times it should be done.
Updated
65th over: Australia 228-3 (Khawaja 112, Voges 33)
On strike! I’m not going to describe these anymore. Southee. Voges. Maiden.
64th over: Australia 228-3 (Khawaja 112, Voges 33)
A DRS review for New Zealand, more out of frustration than anything. Khawaja goes down to sweep and gets hit right in the junk. And if there’s one thing Usman Khawaja doesn’t like, it’s unexpected contact with personal parts of the body.
The ball is going down leg: looked like it on the first replay, and the ball-tracker backed that up.
Khawaja expresses his displeasure at anyone entertaining the possibility that he could be dismissed in a Test match, cutting two short balls in a row to the point fence. Review that, he scoffs.
63rd over: Australia 220-3 (Khawaja 104, Voges 33)
Aaaaaaaaaand another set of six. Six defensive shots, that is. A maiden for Southee, faced out by Voges.
62nd over: Australia 220-3 (Khawaja 104, Voges 33)
Craig finding a good length to start, Voges going back and getting tangled. Then down the pitch comes Voges, but the ball drops on him too sharply.
Only a single from the final ball, and Voges keeps the strike, which is great for fans of the forward defence.
61st over: Australia 219-3 (Khawaja 104, Voges 32)
Now Khawaja wants to chill. That’s telling. He’s got the hundred, wants the adrenaline to subside and the head to clear, and then to go on making runs.
He faces out a maiden from Southee, leaving outside off and defending on it.
60th over: Australia 219-3 (Khawaja 104, Voges 32)
Here’s what happened since Khawaja’s Test recall, when he made 174 and 9 not out in the Brisbane Test against NZ. He went to Perth and made 121, missed a couple with injury then returned for 109 not out for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash.
Then 144 and 56 in a Test against the West Indies, a Big Bash run of 62, 104 not out, and 70, then 14 in a T20 International against India, 50 and 44 in two ODIs against New Zealand, and now 104 not out in a Test match.
CENTURY! Usman Khawaja 103 (157 balls)
Some nerves, but he gets there with a hybrid sweep-pull for four! Khawaja’s fourth Test hundred, and his first on foreign soil.
59th over: Australia 214-3 (Khawaja 99, Voges 32)
Southee’s back, and Voges facing as the other fellow waits on 99. No thought of a single here, as Southee bowls wide and Voges lashes the cut shot for four.
Here’s that part where the early consolidation starts to flourish.
Another delay as Voges wants to change his bat. He’s realised he’s in form, so he’s putting away his ugly-skew bat and bringing out his boundary bat.
58th over: Australia 210-3 (Khawaja 99, Voges 28)
Khawaja to 99 with a single, belted into the ground and bouncing into the covers. Voges hands him back the strike, but suddenly Khawaja has tightened up.
Back on his stumps to defend, then mistiming a cut, then nearly popping up a catch to short leg. Craig appeals, the Richards decline.
57th over: Australia 208-3 (Khawaja 98, Voges 27)
I hate to be a Boring Barry, but maybe New Zealand could consider a deep cover?
I only say that because Usman Khawaja has scored roughly a million boundaries with the same shot in the same region.
It’s not the bowling. Even when they bowl good balls, like this one from Bracewell, he drives them for four. When he feels like it. Like the autumn breeze.
56th over: Australia 203-3 (Khawaja 93, Voges 27)
A pause there, as a drinks break happens. Craig feels better for the pause, dropping onto a better length his next over and only giving up a couple of singles.
55th over: Australia 201-3 (Khawaja 92, Voges 26)
Oh, you can’t stop him today. Don’t even try. There’s no point even having Ton Watch. Khawaja is going to get a hundred and set up this match for Australia.
Two cover drives against Bracewell, two boundaries, Australia past the 200, and Khawaja into the 90s.
It just feels inevitable.
54th over: Australia 193-3 (Khawaja 84, Voges 26)
Mark Craig comes on, Mark Craig gets smashed. We saw this time and again during the Tests in Australia last November, the home side on that occasion were able to belt runs at a copious rate from the New Zealand off-spinner.
Now the spinner is part of the home team, but nothing yet has changed, as the formerly shackled Voges frees himself with a pair of boundaries, one driven straight, one lofted over midwicket.
53rd over: Australia 185-3 (Khawaja 84, Voges 18)
Remarkably, a couple of shots that Khawaja doesn’t time. One to the field at square leg, one that dribbles back to the bowler, another straight to point.
It’s a maiden! To Khawaja! All six balls. Bracewell looks around for a ribbon or a badge or something.
52nd over: Australia 185-3 (Khawaja 84, Voges 18)
“Voges was born to play the forward defence. He came out of the womb planting the front foot forward,” says Daniel Toomey on the radio. Except for that ball he left alone last night, of course...
But enough of that. The forward defence is the shot for this morning, right up until the penultimate ball of the over when he jams another ball into the ground and squirts it square enough to get a run to cover.
Khawaja shows him how easy it can be, jumping up on his toes and dropping a run square of the wicket to keep the strike.
51st over: Australia 183-3 (Khawaja 83, Voges 17)
Khawaja knocks Bracewell square for a run. Now Voges again, and even when he scores he doesn’t look comfortable. That mere push to the off-side was still mistimed and skewed the bat in his hands.
The thing is, Voges does this quite often: looks awful for an hour, gets himself in, and then punishes a bowling side from the base he’s built himself.
And guess what happens next? A final-ball boundary. Bracewell catches a case of the Southees, goes for the bumper and Khawaja pulls his finger out and times his cross-bat shot to the fence.
50th over: Australia 177-3 (Khawaja 78, Voges 16)
Another maiden, as Boult is able to avoid dishing up that release ball late in the piece. Voges just wants to stay in, play in, settle. He’s happy to wait this out.
49th over: Australia 177-3 (Khawaja 78, Voges 16)
Bracewell’s first over for the day. Voges is still making it look difficult, as he squidges the ball to cover and hurries through for a single that could have seen him run out. Close at the non-striker’s end on Nicholls’ through, except it missed.
Khawaja, though, couldn’t be making it look easier. First he adjusts late, so late, to glide a couple of runs through gully from a ball that was threatening his edge. Then he ends the over as Australian batsmen have so often done, as he unfurls another baronial cover drive for four.
48th over: Australia 170-3 (Khawaja 72, Voges 15)
There is goes! Boult gets his first serious in-swing, and Voges plays a big drive that is beaten on its inside edge. So close to the dismissal.
A couple of balls later Voges gets off strike, a little worried. Khawaja isn’t, he cover-drives the second-last ball of the over luxuriantly for four. Playing a different game on a different ground with a different ball against different opposition, is the very handy Khawaja.
47th over: Australia 165-3 (Khawaja 68, Voges 14)
Southee goes a little overboard with the short-ball attack now. Southee? No, surely not, you must be mistaken.
Four bouncers, four singles as the Australians wait for him and pull those balls away. All a bit too easy when you’re expecting it.
46th over: Australia 161-3 (Khawaja 66, Voges 12)
Boult likes the Southee bouncer, so he bashes one in himself and it hits Voges on the bicep. The batsman froze there, flinched and couldn’t move or defend himself. Just copped the hit. Boult tries again and his short ball goes high. His fuller balls are defended. Finally, NZ cap off a maiden.
45th over: Australia 161-3 (Khawaja 66, Voges 12)
Southee is starting really well this morning. He started well yesterday two, with two early wickets. This over gives Khawaja some grief, balls nipping away outside off, a very well directed bouncer, and Khawaja can only sneak a couple of runs by directing the last ball to midwicket.
44th over: Australia 159-3 (Khawaja 64, Voges 12)
Khawaja works three runs out towards the cover boundary early in Boult’s over, and Voges gets back into watchful mode as Boult sends down some accurate deliveries.
43rd over: Australia 156-3 (Khawaja 61, Voges 12)
Southee giving Voges a wee working over. Swinging in, would have been leg before wicket had Voges not got a tiny nick. Another couple moving in, and Voges doesn’t look comfortable. But he manages to produce an off-drive for four from the second-last ball.
That’s been happening all innings for New Zealand. Pressure builds, builds, releases.
42nd over: Australia 152-3 (Khawaja 61, Voges 8)
Trent Boult from the other end, and Voges the Villain on strike. (Not his fault, mind, but crowds are ok with broad brush strokes.) Money for jam to get Voges going for the day, the straighter ball that he dinks square for a single.
41st over: Australia 151-3 (Khawaja 61, Voges 7)
Even the placid and controlled Usman Khawaja can start the day a little shakily, with no pre-match national anthem to calm his nerves. Southee begins the day and Khawaja jabs one ball into the slips on the bounce, then slices a boundary off the outside edge from the final ball of the over.
Speaking of raging against authority, feeling still runs high this morning after Umpire Illingworth’s efforts last night. Adam Voges was clean bowled in the final over, the umpire called it a no-ball, and he was wrong by about half a foot. Literally, the half of Doug Bracewell’s foot that was behind the front line.
“The umpires today are a pair of English Dicks,” said the Guardian’s English-Australian expatriate writer Jonathan Howcroft yesterday, on the radio commentary White Line Wireless, and while he was speaking of the first names of the Richards Illingworth and Kettleborough, his misinterpreted statement could be said to be broadly shared by the denizens of the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
“Good-morning, good-morning!” the General said
When we met him last week on our way to the line.
Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of ‘em dead,
And we’re cursing his staff for incompetent swine.
“He’s a cheery old card,” grunted Harry to Jack
As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack.
But he did for them both by his plan of attack.
So wrote Siegfried Sassoon, and while it wasn’t necessarily to mark the start of the OBO, I echo his good morning sentiments from the lonely isle of New Zealand. His anti-war sentiments could be assumed to be broadly shared.
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Geoff will be here shortly to guide you through the opening sessions on day two. In the meantime, catch up on what happened on a compelling opening day at Basin Reserve.
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