Stumps - New Zealand 121-4, trail by 14 on the first innings
That’s the equation. New Zealand will resume tomorrow effectively on parity, but with their first four wickets already down. Kane Williamson, Corey Anderson and BJ Watling will be required to bat long into the day and set Australia 200 runs to have a chance. A hard ask, but not impossible, and of course even a chase of 120 or more can be tricky if early wickets fall.
Farewell Brendon McCullum the batsman from Test cricket – we saw the best of you on day one, and I was fortunate enough to be in the commentary chair for most of that knock. Today we saw a cameo, a few shots to remind us how he played the game, before he fell for 25.
Three wickets for Pattinson, who has been superb, and one for Hazlewood, who has been not far behind.
Enough from me, though I will be back first thing in the New Zealand morning to take you through that session of the Guardian OBO. My name’s Geoff Lemon, farewell for now.
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44th over: New Zealand 121-4 (Williamson 45, Anderson 9)
Marsh to bowl the final over. First ball defended. Gully is quite close, slip is wide and solitary, but there’s a short catching cover, a short leg, a fairly short midwicket, and an overthrow. Williamson tapped to square leg for a single and the throw back in wasn’t fielded.
Williamson leaves, then ducks a bouncer that would probably only have been chest high in a standing position. Good enough to get down very low underneath it. Blocks out the next. One to come. Marsh’s hair ruffles in the breeze. If Hugh Grant could bowl...
But Hugh definitely isn’t a Yorker, and that’s what Marsh produces. Good ball, kept out, and that’s the day.
43rd over: New Zealand 119-4 (Williamson 43, Anderson 9)
Bouncer from Hazlewood, Anderson ducking it, then defending a short one off the back foot. The age-old test of patience late in the day. A short leg comes in, a third slip, but still those two men deep on the hook.
Anderson leaves. Anderson defends.
Hazlewood over the wicket. Bouncer. No temptation, Anderson sways. Last ball of the day for the lanky pace bowler who looks like an elongated Shrek. Gets the edge of Anderson’s bat, but it slides along the ground to slip.
42nd over: New Zealand 119-4 (Williamson 43, Anderson 9)
Williamson remaining busy, whipping a single from Marsh off his legs first ball. Marsh is taking his time between each ball, when really the day is already 20 minutes over time and could be done. Anderson leaves, defends, ducks, then taps two runs square before glancing one fine. The deficit is 16.
41st over: New Zealand 115-4 (Williamson 42, Anderson 6)
Hazlewood around the wicket to the left-handed Anderson, and he’s getting reverse swing away from the bat. Then he comes back over and attacks the pads. Tricky stuff. Maiden. Three overs to go in the day. It’s chilly at the ground now, jumpers on if you’re lucky enough to have them.
40th over: New Zealand 115-4 (Williamson 42, Anderson 6)
Williamson’s concentration has been faultless the last hour or so. He’s up on his toes to Mitch Marsh, that high backlift a la Steve Smith, hovering in waspish fashion before coming down with a stab on the ball. Interesting in nothing at the moment but stunning the projectile dead. Maiden.
39th over: New Zealand 115-4 (Williamson 42, Anderson 6)
Hazlewood drops short, Williamson looks quite relieved really, as he pulls comfortably fora single. Anderson facing, two slips and a gully, point, mid-off, Warner in the McCullum-catching spot, mid-on, then deep backward and a fine leg on the hook.
Anderson ain’t playing no hook shots though, unlike early in his last knock when he plonked one on the hill and one in the fence. This time he’s all about the leave.
38th over: New Zealand 114-4 (Williamson 41, Anderson 6)
That’s the end of Pattinson’s marathon spell, at least for a fragile fast bowler. Eight overs on the trot. Mitch Marsh comes back. Anderson tucks another single square.
Glenn Maxwell on the field, you’ll be glad to know. The specialist fieldsman who has come in for three days of a Test so that 12th man Shaun marsh could play Shield cricket. Book title? Maxi: From Sub to First Slip.
Williamson leaves a few balls, then decides that he likes the shorter ball outside off and plays his favourite back-foot punch for three.
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37th over: New Zealand 110-4 (Williamson 38, Anderson 5)
Corey Anderson did bat very well in his first innings, but it was a breezy time to bat following in McCullum’s slipstream. It’ll require a bit more application today. He scores his first boundary in composed fashion, angling the bat back towards himself to run Hazlewood wide of the slip cordon, then takes a straighter ball off his pads for one.
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36th over: New Zealand 105-4 (Williamson 38, Anderson 0)
Williamson wants to settle again. Pattinson is routinely topping 140 kmh, this is a good spell. The batsman defends, then can’t take toll of the last ball on his pads, clipping straight to square leg.
Here’s a message from John Phaceas that was definitely, definitely meant for Russell Jackson, but I’ll put it here so as not to be derelict in my duties to nostalgia.
“Happy 40th to the magnificent Gray Nicholls Scoop. I bought my first GN, a classic Bill Lawry-style Gray Nicholls Record with birthday money when I was 12 in 1981. Loved it ‘til I upgraded to the first GN Powerspot about 3 years later.”
“But my pride and joy is an original GN Scoop from the WSC era with Craig Sergeant’s signature embossed on it. I still use it from time to time, just so the youngsters ask ‘Craig who…?’”
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35th over: New Zealand 105-3 (Williamson 38, Anderson 0)
Well, the second ball of that over gave the Christchurch crowd one more McCullum six to cheer, a gorgeous flat pull shot from Hazlewood that extended McCullum’s record six tally to 107.
But the next, he was gone. All too soon, 25 from 27 balls, as was always a chance with the way he played.
As far as the match goes, New Zealand are still 30 runs behind and need something substantial from the sons of William and Anders.
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WICKET! McCullum c Warner b Hazlewood 25
I regret to advise, for lovers of cricket, that it is over. Brendon McCullum’s Test career ends as we had assumed: he charged Hazlewood, crashed a pull shot away, and David Warner at short midwicket took a stunning diving catch to end his stay. From one manic short ball-basher to another, a fitting end as when Sachin Tendulkar caught Steve Waugh in the latter’s farewell.
34th over: New Zealand 98-3 (Williamson 37, McCullum 19)
McCullum swarming the Aussies, and the Aussies swarming McCullum. One versus 11, does that ratio match up to The 300 in Sparta?
First the umpires go up to check a caught-and-bowled, but Pattinson despite his wild celebration has only caught a bump ball.
Then Pattinson hits the pad, going down leg side, but puts in another mighty appeal that is cheerily jeered by the crowd.
Finally McCullum blocks out a yorker, which rolls away from him, and the batsman picks it up and throws it back to the field. Amazingly, Pattinson doesn’t appeal for handled the ball.
He gets a standing ovation from the Kiwi crowd just in front of me down at fine leg. Maidens don’t come much more entertaining. Nor less happily for the bowler.
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33rd over: New Zealand 98-3 (Williamson 37, McCullum 19)
Hazlewood back. McCullum gave him the treatment last innings, and he starts the same way. Great shot this time, nothing chancy about it, McCullum gets his balance perfect and slams the cut shot from a ball not far from his body, and it flies away square for four.
Hazlewood comes back with a ripper, a peachy inswinger that nails McCullum on the bended knee-roll. I can’t get an accurate answer on whether the Australians have used one referral, or whether the last one was an umpire’s review, but either way they don’t refer this one. Reckon it hit him outside the line? Not out.
McCullum produces another minimal square push that gets through Lyon at point, mostly, and goes for three. The deficit suddenly down to 37.
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32nd over: New Zealand 89-3 (Williamson 36, McCullum 11)
If he can’t entertain the crowd batting, he’ll do it running. Glances to fine leg, does McCullum, and comes back for the second as Hazlewood belts around to field. McCullum has to hustle, and in sliding his bat in he loses his footing, tumbles, and does a spectacular forward roll that ends in a fluid pop back onto his feet. That was a Hong Kong action move.
Four! That didn’t take long. McCullum backs away from Pattinson’s bouncer, does a Cossack kick to get onto the correct foot, then uppercuts it over slip.
“He’s got six more than Bradman in his last knock,” mutters The Age’s Andrew Wu from the seat next to me.
Four again, that shot more minimalist than spectacular, a wider ball that he just reaches for and glides away.
Ben Renick on the radio was discussing why McCullum is so often described as being ‘unleashed’, and wondering which version we’d see today. That question has been answered. “Snarling, he’s eating old pizza out of a bin at the moment, he’s out of the backyard and down the park causing havoc.”
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31st over: New Zealand 78-3 (Williamson 36, McCullum 0)
Bird trying to do the Siddle job now, just wearing a channel outside Williamson’s off-stump. Two slips and a gully away, but also two short midwickets, a mid-on and a square leg, then a mid-off but no cover. So they want a back-foot punch that’s edged, or a flick off the pads that’s uppish. It’s a strange field to look at from fine leg with that stacked on-side.
Bird hits the length four times, but then the thing happens that I imagine might happen when you bowl outside off-stump with no cover and two midwickets. He bowls fuller, and Williamson cover-drives for four.
30th over: New Zealand 74-3 (Williamson 32, McCullum 0)
Williamson scoring singles without too much trouble, just dropping Pattison to his feet this time and skipping through. McCullum assessing the conditions, it wasn’t easy out there on the first day but it isn’t easy now either. Gloomy, the light has dipped, the wind is blustering, the air is cold. Smashing the bowling around is probably even more difficult in these conditions.
Three defensive shots, and an evasion of a bouncer.
29th over: New Zealand 73-3 (Williamson 31, McCullum 0)
Nice drive from Williamson, Bird’s first ball, and it breaks the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Luckily McCullum had the bat in his crease to avoid any mishaps. Williamson ticks a single fourth ball, and McCullum defends two more.
“Something that just occurred to me,” emails Tom Lutz, “so striking it struck me in New York. How realistic is it that Nathan Lyon will finish his Test career with 400 wickets. Looking at him, I always assume he’s 34 and then I realise he’s only just 28. 28!”
Well, Tom. I also do a podcast with Adam Collins called the Final Word, and we recently laid out the equation that would be required for Nathan Lyon to take down Muttiah Muralitharan, and pass 800 Test wickets. Eight. Hundred.
Scoff not, it’s possible.*
28th over: New Zealand 72-3 (Williamson 30, McCullum 0)
Still 63 runs in arrears, McCullum to the wicket. Could he produce a bit of magic one more time? Or will the occasion be too much? In a way, he’s already used up his magic beans for this match.
He only has one ball to face, full and fast at the stumps, and McCullum gets behind it with an aggressive defensive shot, if you can picture that.
WICKET! Nicholls c Smith b Pattinson 2
And there is the value of Pattinson’s fierce fast bowling. He spooks Nicholls with a short ball at the face that Nicholls can only spar for two runs wide of gully, then follows up with a juicy wide half-volley that Nicholls instinctively drives to slip.
Enter McCullum.
27th over: New Zealand 69-2 (Williamson 29, Nicholls 0)
Bird is getting the ball to reverse now. Williamson doesn’t mind, he uses the swing to glance two runs to fine leg and force Hazlewood to hit the deck like a bag of kipfler spuds. Then again for a single glanced squarer.
Latham versus Australia in Tests: 47, 29, 36, 15, 50, 10, 6, 63, 4, 39.
That equals a lot of starts for no match-defining performances.
The mournful tones of Gary Jules covering the Tears for Fears song ‘Mad World’ echo around the ground at the drinks break. Famously used to close the cult film Donnie Darko. Hold me.
26th over: New Zealand 66-2 (Williamson 26, Nicholls 0)
So a 58-run partnership comes to an end with Pattinson’s second ball, right-arm over the wicket to a lefty. New Zealand are still 69 behind as Henry Nicholls, another left-hander, comes out.
The last ball of the over had a faintly ridiculous delay after Nicholls digs out a yorker, and the umpires decide they should have their own review to decide whether it went to Nevill on the bounce, or whether it was nicked. Seems odd under the current laws that the umpires can ask for Snicko on a delivery of their own volition, although that is perhaps how the DRS should work.
WICKET! Latham c Nevill b Pattinson 39
Aaaaaargh, Latham. He makes the most Latham possible score of 39, and is out softly, trying to pull a short pie down leg side and instead only touching it with the underside of his glove.
25th over: New Zealand 66-1 (Latham 39, Williamson 26)
Three leaves from Williamson against Bird, then a slightly shorter ball and KW is fast on the pull and strikes it for four. Nice shot. I don’t like using player nicknames as a rule, but Williamson is a really long name and I’d like some variety.
The next ball there’s an almost pleading appeal from Bird as he strikes bat and pad, believing that the latter came first. Nope.
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24th over: New Zealand 62-1 (Latham 39, Williamson 22)
Williamson and Latham continue with the anti-McCullum approach, sensible knowing that he will definitely use the pro-McCullum approach when he comes out, regardless of scenario.
Latham gets a full over of accurate stuff from Pattinson, a hint of movement still in towards the left-hander, but Latham stays away from the ball wherever possible and gets behind it where required.
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23rd over: New Zealand 62-1 (Latham 39, Williamson 22)
Jackson Bird back to complete the double change, tall and upright with his nomenclaturally appropriate cockatoo hair-crest. Upright action, too, and some upright short deliveries interspersing the fuller swinging ones. A maiden for him as well, as the wind swirls.
22nd over: New Zealand 62-1 (Latham 39, Williamson 22)
A few signs though that Williamson is lest chillaxed than at first Dr Chill diagnosed. Pattinson comes on, and the batsman edges his first ball past his stumps for a couple of runs. Pattinson annoys him enough with a dry line that Williamson eventually comes across his stumps to work to leg for three.
Gets runs, but that can be a risky prospect. Or at least a bad sign for a batsman who’s all about stillness and composure.
21st over: New Zealand 57-1 (Latham 39, Williamson 17)
More like Kane Chilliamson. So relaxed, 53 balls for his 17 by the end of that over. Also the temperature has just dropped about five degrees, the wind has picked up and the cloud has come over thicker. Maybe the Devil is about to arrive.
Williamson leaves and defends four ball, Hazlewood starting to swing it into the pads a bit, then the batsman nudges a single to the off-side.
20th over: New Zealand 56-1 (Latham 39, Williamson 16)
I’m plugged into the radio commentary via White Line Wireless - they’re suggesting that Umpire Kettleborough is getting mad at the Australians for bouncing the ball in to the keeper to try to rough it up. They’re also debating whether the Australians are just bad at ball-tampering, and whether more tampering should be allowed. Listeners are frothing.
Latham gets going against Marsh, a drive for two, and then cleverly chopping the ball hard into the ground so it bounces wide of slip for four.
19th over: New Zealand 50-1 (Latham 33, Williamson 16)
That single of course means that Williamson has strike, and Hazlewood now gets to pin him down for a maiden. This is how Australia has got Williamson out in recent times, drying him up and frustrating him given he likes to keep his innings purring along.
18th over: New Zealand 50-1 (Latham 33, Williamson 16)
More of the same from Marsh, this is an exceptionally accurate spell, all but hitting the top of off stump every ball except for the batsman in the way. Only the last ball errs, just a touch, and Williamson is good enough to get behind it and tuck it for a single. That raises the NZ fifty, and they trail by 85.
17th over: New Zealand 49-1 (Latham 33, Williamson 15)
Latham is indeed digging in, and Hazlewood is generating some menace. One attempted glance takes a leading edge away towards point. Hazlewood tries out the Wagner length but it only brings evasive action.
16th over: New Zealand 49-1 (Latham 33, Williamson 15)
Another good over from Marsh. Very accurate, right outside off against Williamson, including a ball that beats him well. The only score is a no ball, called by the standing umpire, correctly. Wonders never cease.
15th over: New Zealand 48-1 (Latham 33, Williamson 15)
Hazlewood wants to clump Williamson on the pads, but he slips in a ball that’s too full and Kane W clips him for four. Midwicket, minimum of fuss. Then bunts a short ball for a single, allowing the left-handed Latham to be tested out with some more angle and cut.
He’s made a lot of pretty innings against Australia that haven’t gone on to anything more substantial, has Latham. Needs to bat long.
14th over: New Zealand 43-1 (Latham 33, Williamson 10)
Interesting call to go to Mitch Marsh straight after tea, with only 13 overs gone in the innings. His stocks as a fast bowler continue to rise within this team, even if his last stint with the ball had him being pulverised by McCullum.
Every day has a new sunrise, kids. He bowls a maiden.
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Hello world. Geoff Lemon indeed, as promised. Even if you were hoping for some last-minute intervention. A pleasure to be here! Once again I’m on the hill at Hagley Oval, bringing some on-the-spot intel to the OBO, it’s a perfect mild afternoon with a pleasant breeze blowing across the assembled throng.
As for Martin Guptill, such a brilliant 50-over player... what else can I say?
It's not getting any better for M. Guptill, Test batsman. #NZvAus pic.twitter.com/1L3FBfL08o
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) February 22, 2016
That’s it from me
But Geoff Lemon will be around soon to guide you through the rest of the day’s play. Feel free to send him emails about your first cricket bat, even if it confuses him.
I’ve no idea how this is calculated but it does seem about right:
An excellent session for NZ, who are 43-1 (92 behind)#WinViz
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) February 22, 2016
NZ win 14.6%
Draw 5.2%
Aus win 80.2%#NZvAUS
Tea on day three - New Zealand are making solid progress
13th over: New Zealand 43-1 (Latham 33, Williamson 10)
The Kiwis take an absolute age between deliveries in this over and it’s no surprise, really. They’re keen not to face an extra over and make sure of it with plenty of stalling tactics in between Lyon’s deliveries. And with that, it’s tea following a session in which the home side clawed their way back. They’ve lost Martin Guptill in the early overs of their innings but between Tom Latham’s assured start and Neil Wagner’s efforts with the ball, it’s been New Zealand’s session.
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12th over: New Zealand 41-1 (Latham 32, Williamson 9)
His first spell was cut a little shorter than seemed necessary but Josh Hazlewood is now back for another blast before tea. He overpitches to Williamson and gets driven straight for three and then adjusts his length to the nagging, McGratheseque spot fractionally outside the line of off.
11th over: New Zealand 38-1 (Latham 32, Williamson 6)
As expected, Lyon now appears for a bit of spin before the tea break and with Latham at the crease that’s never a bad idea anyway. There’s a reasonable amount of turn for the offie when he’s sending them down to Williamson and he might even fancy moving from 195 Test wickets to 200 over the course of this innings. Latham has been a bit of a bunny for Lyon but he finishes this over well in cutting him for a boundary to move into the 30s.
10th over: New Zealand 32-1 (Latham 27, Williamson 5)
Williamson’s been obdurate and assured so far but gets a surprise with Hazlewood’s yorker and squeezes a harried inside edge down to the fence at fine leg. He’s probably got one eye on the clock now with the final break of the day imminent.
9th over: New Zealand 28-1 (Latham 27, Williamson 1)
This is a little bit better from Jackson Bird but he strays with his fifth delivery, lobbing up a full toss that Latham calmly cracks through cover for another boundary. They’re making it a little easy for him with that kind of stuff.
8th over: New Zealand 24-1 (Latham 23, Williamson 1)
Another tidy over from Pattinson but he’s perhaps tiring a little because it lacks some of the penetration we’ve seen in the last 20 minutes. In other news, with Williamson off the mark Latham no longer has all of New Zealand’s score. We’re 2o minutes from tea now.
7th over: New Zealand 22-1 (Latham 22, Williamson 0)
Hmm, is Josh Hazlewood sore or changing ends? Can’t see any other reason why Jackson Bird has just appeared for a bowl. Latham greats him with another straight drive down to the fence at mid-off and then sends one wide of the man at mid-on too. The latter was a superb stroke. He has all of New Zealand’s runs so far. It’s an expensive start from J-Bird.
6th over: New Zealand 12-1 (Latham 12, Williamson 0)
It’s been an impressive spell from Pattinson since he’s removed the full tosses from the repertoire and this is more tight, probing stuff to Williamson, who mis-times it when presented with some rare width. It’s a maiden and we’re not far off tea on day three.
5th over: New Zealand 12-1 (Latham 12, Williamson 0)
Hazlewood is bowling like a dream now and the Aussies are surrounding the batsmen like angry seagulls. The bowler cuts one away from Latham and goes perilously close to taking his outside edge. Latham regroups well and presses forward with a lovely off drive down to the fence at long-off. He seems to have a pretty good sense of where his off stump is and boy does he need it against Hazlewood right now.
WICKET! Guptill c Nevill b Pattinson 0 (New Zealand 8-1)
Guptill goes! And it must be said that this news comes as no surprise. It was a tortured 12-ball stay for the tall opener and he tickles the final ball of Pattinson’s over behind the wicket to depart for a duck. The Aussies are loving it but know they’ll soon be confronted with Kane Williamson.
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3rd over: New Zealand 7-0 (Latham 7, Guptill 0)
Guptill looks a far better batsman when he’s off strike right now, to be honest. Hazlewood sends one sizzling past his outside edge and his feet are nowhere. Our friend Adam Collins, meanwhile, has another addition to bat chat. “My first bat was a Gray Nicolls Elite. My 10th birthday, aug 1994, before my first season of under 12s. Made me a 57* early on that i still think about more often than is appropriate for an adult of 31 years.”
2nd over: New Zealand 7-0 (Latham 7, Guptill 0)
James Pattinson shares the new ball and has three slips and a gully in place as he steams in to Tom Latham. There’s lots of energy and grunting from the bowler as he hovers around a fourth-stump line but his second full toss of the over is clipped late, low and awkwardly through the cordon for a boundary. Pattinson’s cranking the speedo up to 142km/h.
Jenny Thompson writes in with a slightly pained addition to the kit talk. “My first bat was a Gunn & Moore Striker,” she says, “but more to the point my first pads (also GM) were awful because in the 1990s, female cricketers wore skimpy, impractical skirt-like shorts and daft knee-high socks, so the leather-and-buckle straps would dig so hard into the backs of your legs they would create bleeding welts. My eyes are watering just remembering the pain. This is the kind of abomination to which I refer.”
God bless you, velcro.
1st over: New Zealand 1-0 (Latham 1, Guptill 0)
Okay, we’re off and away in New Zealand’s second innings and Tom Latham is off the mark immediately when he turns Josh Hazlewood to leg for a single on what remains a decent pitch for batting. Will it stay that way tomorrow and day five, when Australia might be chasing a small total? From here you’d think that the quicks will get an 8-10 over burst before Nathan Lyon is brought on. He could have a huge say in the result of this match.
It was the Neil Wagner Show after lunch
Wagner walks off to an ovation from the crowd. Career best figures of 6-106 #NZvAUS ^CE pic.twitter.com/tVvWbxPqcw
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) February 22, 2016
The Aussies are all out for 505 and Wagner has six wickets!
WICKET! Hazlewood c McCullum b Wagner 13 (Australia all out for 505)
Wagner gets another! There’s no point abandoning his plan at this point and again it’s a short one that Hazlewood sways back to and angles a late cut straight into the hands of McCullum at slip. That was a super effort from Wagner to finish the Aussie innings off with such efficiency. They were looking at a lead of 250 an hour ago. Now they’ll have to be happy with 135 and this game is still a contest.
153rd over: Australia 505-8 (Hazlewood 13, Bird 4)
Hazlewood continues his impressive little knock with a lovely straight drive to the pickets off Boult. It’s a matter of time I guess but if this pair could get the lead from its current position, 135, to 150, it would be more than handy.
152nd over: Australia 500-8 (Hazlewood 8, Bird 4)
With an outside edge down to the boundary by the new man Bird Australia move past 500 and there’s action aplenty because Watling drops a chance the very next ball. Or does he? It looked like Bird edged his hook shot but the way it sat up suggests it might have come off his shoulder. Replays all but confirm it. Anyway, Neil Wagner has his second five-wicket haul in Tests and gets a rousing ovation from the crowd as he moves down to fine leg.
Australia have made 500 twice in this away Test series. Last time they did that was in the West Indies in 2003 #nzvaus
— Brydon Coverdale (@brydoncoverdale) February 22, 2016
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WICKET! Nevill c Watling b Wagner 13 (Australia 496-9)
Wagner has a five-fer! And I’ve got a huge surprise for you: he’s reached it with a bouncer. This time Nevill leans back and tries to flick him over the cordon but only succeeds in feathering the edge through to Watling behind the wicket. Wagner’s teammates are rapt for him and why not? He’s stuck to his plan and got the rewards. It’s New Zealand’s session, to say the least.
151st over: Australia 496-8 (Nevill 13, Hazlewood 8)
Hazlewood always looks like a proper batsman and at no time more so than when he clubs a cover drive out to the fence off the first ball of this Anderson over. Elsewhere in New Zealand right now:
.@JJonassen21 claimed 5-50 and the @SouthernStars need 207 to level the series! Stream: https://t.co/eDx3ChXGnw pic.twitter.com/ozCpg1RLua
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) February 22, 2016
150th over: Australia 492-8 (Nevill 13, Hazlewood 4)
Ouch. Nevill’s been struck an awkward blow on the right arm by another short ball from Wagner. The intent of the bowler is pretty clear by this point. Ian Smith is calling it “an assault”, which seems a bit much. It’s hardly Fire in Babylon stuff at 132km/h. Nevill squirts four past the man hovering at leg gully but that’s the only other action in the over. New Zealand have been dominant in this post-lunch session.
149th over: Australia 488-8 (Nevill 9, Hazlewood 4)
Hazlewood gets off the mark with a streaky boundary through gully and Anderson is a little cheesed off that Williamson didn’t get a hand to it in that position. He barely reacted at all, in fact. Anderson’s bending his back now and fancies cleaning up the tail.
WICKET! Pattinson c Boult b Anderson 1 (Australia 484-8)
Now Pattinson goes! And for once, an Australian batsman has (a) not been dismissed by Neil Wagner and (b) not done it pulling. Pattinson gets some width outside off stump and slaps it straight into the hands of Boult at point. It’s catching practice for the Kiwis all of a sudden. Australia’s lead is 114 but it might not end up being much more.
148th over: Australia 484-7 (Nevill 9, Pattinson 1)
Neil Wagner will bowl far better spells than he has today and not take wickets but here he is, twenty minutes after lunch, with four to his name on the back of strict adherence to a negative but successful tactic. New man Pattinson is off the mark but Australia are now far less likely to reach a lead of 200 than they were five minutes ago.
Phil Withall, meanwhile, arrives with the words on literally nobody else’s lips. “Had to take a second look at the picture of Gooch and Gazza,” he says. “The shin pad on Gooch’s hand seemed to create the illusion of a wardrobe malfunction. Although it was just a trick of the eye I feel rather unsettled now.”
WICKET! Marsh c Nicholls b Wagner 18 (Australia 483-7)
Another Aussie batsman departs pulling a short one from Wagner! This is getting ridiculous. Now it’s Marsh and Henry Nicholls is the man to reel in the catch. There’s slight variation here because it was taken at wide mid-wicket but yet again Wagner has banged in an innocuous short ball and again the batsman has clubbed it straight into the hands of a fieldsman.
Updated
147th over: Australia 483-6 (Marsh 18, Nevill 9)
Australia’s lead has now stretched beyond a hundred and by the end of this session we’ll have a better idea of the task that New Zealand will face trying to post a second innings figure that will give Australia something to chase. If this pair stays together for an hour or two the lead could be up around 200 in no time and things get tougher from there for the home side. Nevill edges another four past gully to peeve Corey Anderson.
146th over: Australia 478-6 (Marsh 17, Nevill 5)
The field is spread in the deep while Marsh is on strike and it needs to be at the rate he hits them. Southee has to sprint and dive to save a certain boundary when Marsh pulls Wagner firmly to deep mid-wicket and somehow keeps it to a single. Maybe Marsh needs an SS Jumbo.
145th over: Australia 476-6 (Marsh 16, Nevill 4)
Brendan Brown has details of his first bat. “My first (and only) cricket bat was an SS (Stuart Surridge). My cricketing hero at the time was Viv Richards who used one and so after much convincing and hard savings doing the paper run my parents and I went halves in one. I still have it today and use it when I play with my son.”
It wasn’t the Gooch-Gazza version, I’m guessing?
144th over: Australia 476-6 (Marsh 16, Nevill 4)
Bang! Mitch Marsh gets a short one from Wagner and doesn’t make the same mistake with his pull shot as teammates earlier, cracking it wide of mid-on and out past the rope. Only some acrobatic work on the boundary from Anderson stops another four.
Raymond Reardon has run a fine tooth comb over the stats from earlier. “The greatest thing to take out of the batting averages, for more than 20 innings, is that Bradman, probably because of his and his teammates domination, did not have to bat in 24 innings of his 52 matches ( assuming he never batted down the order in any second innings ) ...... I don’t think there are any comparisons.”
143rd over: Australia 469-6 (Marsh 9, Nevill 4)
As Nevill gets off the mark with a thick edge to the boundary, reader Ray Murphy has written in with details of his first bat. “Gray Nicolls 4-Scoop (surprised I could even lift it as a skinny kid in U12s).” Was that the Dynadrive or the Hookes Hurricane? If you want the skinny (or the meat, as it were) on the Gray Nicolls Scoop, I had a great time documenting its 40th anniversary a couple of years back.
There’s a nice gallery here too, which includes original drawings of the design and glimpses of early models being made. One for the cricket bat nerds:
142nd over: Australia 464-6 (Marsh 8, Nevill 0)
Peter Nevill is the new man for Australia and if he and Marsh can knuckle down here, they have a rare chance at an extended stay at the crease. Both have been starved of opportunities in the last six months as top-order teammates have dominated. The keeper negotiates the rest of the over well.
WICKET! Voges c Latham b Guptill 60 (Australia 464-6)
Voges goes! And again it’s Wagner with the key breakthrough. His spell had gotten off to an inauspcious start when the in-form Aussie cut him for a boundary first up but in what is becoming a common sight in this innings, a well-set batsman departs biffing a short one straight to square leg! This time it’s Latham with the catch but all of Burns, Smith and now Voges have fallen pulling to square leg. Voges is human after all.
Updated
141st over: Australia 460-5 (Voges 56, Marsh 8)
Okay, we’re back after lunch with Corey Anderson wheeling away and Adam Voges on strike and looking to add more to his assured half-century from this morning. It’s farily pedestrian stuff from the Kiwi all-rounder and when he gives Voges some width he’s driven hard and square for a boundary.
Further omens
Today is a storied day for lower order batsmen. Can somebody show this to Peter Nevill? Bonus points for the fact that Smithy was using a Gray Nicolls Elite, the first cricket bat yours truly owned. At the risk of a nerdy deluge, does anyone else want to email in with details of their first cricket bat?
#OnThisDay 1990. Ian Smith hit an electric 173 off 136 balls to register the highest score for a no.9 in history pic.twitter.com/yf7swrYLEn
— ICC (@ICC) February 22, 2016
It could be worse for New Zealand
Australia could have picked cricketing genius Glenn Maxwell. He could have been handy in the afternoon session coming up.
Hey @Gmaxi_32! 😎 #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/R09zhHqTg9
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) February 21, 2016
Funny to think that when I watched Voges batting for Middlesex I was watching the best Test batsman of all time
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) February 21, 2016
Adam Voges - better than Bradman?
HISTORY! No one has sat above Bradman on this (min 20 innings) list. Voges now does: https://t.co/bxcgn9f19o #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/xA7MXXJybl
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) February 21, 2016
Lunch on day three - Australia are right on top
140th over: Australia 455-5 (Voges 51, Marsh 8)
And that is lunch on day one. Brendon McCullum again decided that his bowling fare was the best option and both batsmen resisted the urge to have a dash with the break in sight. They head to the pavilion with a 85-run lead and Voges having worked his way to yet another batting milestone. Nathan Lyon provided stout resistance earlier in the session but the Aussies are well set to compile a lead of 200+ in the afternoon sessions. I’ll be back after a few refreshments of my own.
Voges reaches his half-century!
139th over: Australia 454-5 (Voges 50, Marsh 8)
“He just doesn’t know what ‘out’ is,” is Ian Smith’s take on Adam Voges as he gets the single to bring up his 50 from 117 deliveries. He really is batting like a dream at the moment though I’ll admit I found it hard to concentrate in this over as the broadcaster was replaying Viv Richards’ dimly-lit video message to Brendon McCullum, congratulating him on his record-breaking effort on day one.
138th over: Australia 450-5 (Voges 49, Marsh 5)
Brendon McCullum is back for another pre-lunch over! What a treat for the Christchurch crowd. Voges is on the verge of another minor milestone but he’s not game to try and bring it up off the Kiwi skipper. As earlier, he looks absolutely petrified at the prospect of departing to such ropey bowling.
137th over: Australia 450-5 (Voges 49, Marsh 5)
The sun’s finally come out at Hagley Oval and the tree-rimmed ground is looking magnificent from the angle from which Corey Anderson runs in to bowl. Voges cuts him hard into the ground to beat the infield and pick up two and then a single to mid-wicket brings up 450 for the Aussies.
136th over: Australia 447-5 (Voges 46, Marsh 5)
There’s just a leg bye from this Matt Henry over and you get the feeling that the Australian pair are probably content to see this through until lunch without further loss. If Marsh gets going after lunch this could be fun.
135th over: Australia 446-5 (Voges 46, Marsh 5)
Voges has slowed a little with the loss of Lyon’s wicket but turns two runs backward of square leg in this Anderson over and then a single to retain the strike. Australia’s lead has now stretched to 76 and there’ll be a lot more to come at the rate New Zealand are taking wickets. They’ve only managed three in the last three sessions combined and we’re 15 minutes from lunch on day three.
134th over: Australia 443-5 (Voges 43, Marsh 5)
Henry has a different approach to Mitch Marsh, with BJ Watling posted back to his normal position deeper behind the stumps and a couple of slips in place. Marsh takes a moment to settle and then cracks Henry for a lovely square drive out to the fence. If the Kiwis get Marsh into some batting form they’ll know for certain that it’s not their day. The Australian’s Test average of 23.27 could do with some work.
133rd over: Australia 439-5 (Voges 43, Marsh 1)
Corey Anderson is the man tasked with removing Marsh and Voges now. He didn’t set the world on fire yesterday but it’s worth a shot. Marsh is off the mark with a single when he turns one off his pads first up. Anderson’s swinging it around a bit but nothing too frightening for the batsmen.
132nd over: Australia 438-5 (Voges 43, Marsh 0)
With Lyon gone, Matt Henry is back into the attack but not as we saw him before. Perhaps inspired by the swing McCullum got at his drastically reduced pace, the full-timer has asked Watling to stand up to the stumps and that indicates he’ll pull back his own pace. Or maybe not. He’s still whizzing it down at 132km/h. You can’t accuse New Zealand of not trying things. Henry’s over is a maiden and due to the protection of a helmet, Watling still has his teeth.
WICKET! Lyon c McCullum b Williamson 33 (Australia 438-5)
Lyon departs! And it’s a superb catch by McCullum at slip off the bowling of the part-time spinner. The funky bowling changes have done the trick for the Kiwis but not before Lyon had put on 33 from 75 deliveries in a truly frustrating partnership of 81. But it doesn’t get any better for New Zealand now; Mitch Marsh, Peter Nevill and the handy James Pattinson are still to come.
Updated
130th over: Australia 436-4 (Voges 42, Lyon 32)
I’m not actually lying when I say that Brendon McCullum is swinging the ball both ways, which is all quite amusing but perhaps doesn’t say much for his specialist bowlers. He’s attempting the most ludicrous bouncers you’ll ever see but that’s not much good for keeper Watling, who is up at the stumps. Mark Richardson calls it an “interesting over”, which is a subjective call but not far off the mark.
129th over: Australia 434-4 (Voges 41, Lyon 31)
Kane Williamson comes on now for a bit of off-spin but let’s be honest, he’s no Brendon McCullum. There’s not a single instance of laughter in the arena. The skipper should be considering giving BJ Watling a trundle if you ask me.
128th over: Australia 426-4 (Voges 38, Lyon 30)
Novelty Brendon McCullum bowling time! And this isn’t the worst idea. It makes Nathan Lyon laugh, for one. The first ball is a wobbly 104 km/h loosener but the next one nips back in past Lyon’s outside edge. Havign acclimiatised to the frontline quicks Lyon is suddenly at sea against the part-timer. McCullum responds with a second slip, an honour he didn’t often grant his quicks yesterday. This is getting a bit silly but I guess it’s worth a try. Lyon gets off strike with a leg bye and Adam Voges studiously avoids the most embarrassing dismissal in cricket history.
Kids just running past our tent from their game behind us to watch this. Cries of "Brendon McCullum's bowling!" #NZvAUS
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) February 21, 2016
Updated
127th over: Australia 425-4 (Voges 38, Lyon 30)
BJ Watling was adamant that the LBW shout was a wicket, by the way. I think that swayed McCullum. Anyway, it wasn’t out and this annoying Australian partnership continues unbroken.
Not out! Voges survives
Yeah nah. It was missing off stump by a reasonable distance. But that is at least promising for the Kiwis. They’ve actually beaten the bat.
LBW REVIEW AGAINST VOGES!
127th over: Australia 425-4 (Voges 38, Lyon 30)
Mark Waugh Nathan Lyon drives the first ball of the Boult over through cover to pick up three and revive memories of his debut hundred against England in Adelaide back in 1990-91 the pre-drinks period in which he did much the same thing. Better comes for New Zealand when Boult strikes Voges on the pad and thinks he’s trapped him in front. It’s not given but the Kiwis have gone for a review! It looks high.
126th over: Australia 422-4 (Voges 38, Lyon 27)
Matt Henry bowled a little better than his figures suggested yesterday, particularly his first two overs with the second new ball, but he’s still searching for his first wicket as he restarts to Voges. The batsman gets two out to deep mid wicket and Allan Border is suddenly comparing Nathan Lyon’s batting to that of Mark Waugh’s. Imagine what’ll happen when he’s on strike! Presumably Mark Waugh himself is at home having a heart attack.
125th over: Australia 420-4 (Voges 36, Lyon 27)
Old chum Phil Withall is here with an email too. “As an Englishman, and therefore used to following a side in a situation like the one that New Zealand currently find themselves in, I’d like to offer some sage words of advice to those struggling to adjust to the rather depressing action on the field,” he says. “It’s not cowardly to pray for rain, in fact it’s a rather comforting thing to do.”
With that, we’ll take drinks. Summary: a dirty morning for the Kiwis. They can’t even remove the nightwatchman.
Imagine what Voges' average would be if England hadn't devised their infamous, controversial "Nickline" tactics to contain him in the Ashes.
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) February 21, 2016
Updated
124th over: Australia 417-4 (Voges 33, Lyon 27)
New most Kiwi thing of the day: an old man in the crowd proudly holding a giant fresh-baked pie up to the cameras. The pasty has an been laid in such a way that it indicates he’s celebrating his 80th birthday. He’s celebrating it with pie. What more can you want out of life than to live to 80 and eat a giant pie? Well, I guess you could throw in the sight of Nathan Lyon biffing the new bowler Henry out to the fence at cow with a text-book on drive. And what’s more, Adam Voges is averaging 100 again!
123rd over: Australia 410-4 (Voges 32, Lyon 19)
“A lot of pressure on Voges now,” says reader Andrew. “Every time he comes to the crease, he knows he needs a ton just to maintain his average.” Lyon bunts an uppish two past the outstretched hand of Boult, who almost takes a catch off his own bowling. It’s the only half-chance of the last 20 minutes.
@rustyjacko How do you think the Aussie attack would have managed this wicket? Lyon brings more balance certainly.
— Terry Baucher (@Trabaq) February 21, 2016
At the very least there’s more variety there with Lyon, Marsh’s swing... And how would New Zealand go when you can’t force the pace when you’re batting? It’s even possible they were better off batting first.
122nd over: Australia 408-4 (Voges 32, Lyon 19)
There’s something unconvincing about Wagner’s short stuff now. He’s a short on pace, the pitch is offering nothing and Voges clobbers him for another boundary to leg to bring up Australia’s 400. Ooh, maybe not. The next one gets up around Voges’ ears and he’s not even through his hook shot when it whistles past him. Was that an ‘effort’ ball? Looked like it. A delivery later again Wagner’s short one bounces before it reaches keeper Watling. That’s not exactly an ego-booster. Voges gets four more when he deflects one off his hip and down to the rope at fine leg. Two from the final ball makes it a 50-run partnership from 101 deliveries for this pair.
121st over: Australia 398-4 (Voges 22, Lyon 19)
The most Kiwi thing of the day so far: their broadcast team is helmed by a man named Gavin Service. He’s celebrating 50 years in the game, apparently. Anyway, for those watching more cricket-focused statistics today, Adam Voges will be averaging 100 once again if he moves to 33 today, which without wanting to mozz him, looks about as certain as Gavin Service going around for another year.
120th over: Australia 396-4 (Voges 22, Lyon 17)
Nathan Lyon’s faced 44 deliveries as this Wagner over gets under way. That’s not ideal for the Kiwis. It makes me wonder what Mitch Marsh is currently thinking. If ever you were going to make some runs... Lyon does the right thing by Voges and gets off strike and the specialist batsman goes to town on a half-tracker from Wagner, slapping if over square leg for a resounding four. Time for Corey Anderson and Matt Henry to warm up, I reckon.
There's something of Les Dawson in Neil Wagner's expression pre-delivery. #NZvAUS
— Declaration Game (@chrisps01) February 21, 2016
Updated
119th over: Australia 391-4 (Voges 18, Lyon 16)
Cruuuuuunch! Now Boult cops the full force of the Voges late cut when the Aussie belts it into the turf hard to pierce the field. Again it rockets away to the pickets. We often say that someone is performing like a bowling machine and do so in the pejorative sense, but Voges is like a batting machine right now. Wada shouldn’t even bother with the plastic cup, they should check him for circuitry. The Kiwis are very excited by an LBW shout from the final delivery of the over but it’s a matter of desperation rather than a realistic chance. It was well outside the line of off stump.
118th over: Australia 387-4 (Voges 14, Lyon 16)
Things are looking so dire for the home side right now that Ian Smith has taken it upon himself to launch into a discussion about Bradman’s final Test innings duck. They’re flashing the scorecard up and all. It’s a bit more interesting than this over, to be fair. There’s a single to each batsman but little else to suggest Neil Wagner is going to make something happen.
117th over: Australia 385-4 (Voges 13, Lyon 15)
Common sense prevails and Southee is told to keep his cap and sweater on so that Trent Boult can have a go. He’s soon confidently driven down to the straight boundary for three by an increasingly pesky Lyon, who is that dangerous breed of tailender who is utterly convinced that he’s a proper batsman. He’s immovable at the moment, I’ll say that.
116th over: Australia 381-4 (Voges 12, Lyon 12)
BJ Watling can do it all. Having belted his way to a feisty half-century in New Zealand’s first dig and kept wickets with aplomb, now he’s chasing a deflection down to the boundary and pulling off an acrobatic manouvre to keep the ball from crossing the line. The Aussie now have the lead, in case you were wondering.
@rustyjacko I'd be interested in comparing the bowling averages of NZ's seam attack before and after Shane Bond left as bowling coach.
— Edmund King (@dmndkng) February 21, 2016
But Edmund, that would inevitably lead to viewings of Shane Bond’s YouTube clips and Cricinfo statistics page, and thus much drooling.
115th over: Australia 377-4 (Voges 11, Lyon 9)
Southee continues against my preference and Voges cashes in, latching onto a short one that gives him wiggle room outside off stump and rolling his wrists firmly over a well-timed late cut. It rockets away to the fence. He’s a little luckier with a French cut that bounces past his timber for two and in that we get a hint that this pitch is perhaps slowing down even more than I noted earlier. That took an age to get to the batsman. Another unimpressive over ends when he strays onto the pads of Voges to be clipped for two.
114th over: Australia 369-4 (Voges 3, Lyon 9)
The issue for Nathan Lyon now, by the looks of the way he’s comofortably handled Wagner’s bumpers, is not so much the short ball but how he’ll handle the inevitable yorker that the bowler will look to send down as a variation. He survives another over but it’s not exactly tantalising cricket from either side.
113th over: Australia 369-4 (Voges 3, Lyon 9)
An all-run four! One for the purists, that. Lyon clips Southee through mid wicket in attractive, batsmanlike fashion and though Henry puts in a big effort with his chase it’s to no avail as the batsmen keep running and running. Worse, Henry whacks his leg on the fence and gets up grimacing. Southee sends a screamer past Lyon’s edge a few balls later but he’s straying onto the pads again to concede a single. The right-armer’s really lacked oomph in this innings. You’d be half tempted to drag him now if you were the skipper.
112th over: Australia 364-4 (Voges 3, Lyon 4)
Ah, it is indeed Neil Wagner to open up. He’s really champing at the bit at the top of his run, jumping up and down on the spot before bustling in dropping it in short to Voges. There’s a short leg in place but early indications are that there’s very little sideways movement off this pitch so the bowlers will have to use angle and trajectory. Voges handles the short stuff comfortably until the final delivery, which really rears up on him to provide an awkward moment.
111th over: Australia 364-4 (Voges 3, Lyon 4)
Orright, we’re away on day three at Hagley Oval and it’s Tim Southee leading the attack to start with. He’s got two slips in play to Voges and a gully under cloudy Christchurch skies. Voges takes a look around for a few deliveries and then turns a single down ton Neil Wagner at fine leg, a position that would suggest he might get a quick burst now ahead of Trent Boult. If so, he certainly earned it yesterday. Southee? His first over is far from inspiring.
They don’t erect monuments to critics but it looks like Adam Voges has got one
And thanks to Robert McLiam Wilson and his opening email of the day, I now know about it. “I love your typification of Voges as a bona fide Test batsman. It’s right on the nose. I love me some of that old-school Siddle and Voges. The French have also gone big on his gritty, no-frills off-stump discipline. So much so that they have decided to name a very beautiful Parisian square after him. I give you the Place des Voges...”
Updated
Matthew Hayden used to call this “visualisation”
Meanwhile, what are the chances of a Kiwi win in this Test? “I think they’re dreaming a bit” says Allan Border, channelling Darryl Kerrigan as he appears now on the telly. He’s also taking about “Quadrants”. I assume that means sections of the ground and not back issues of the conservative Australian literary journal. Could be wrong.
Adam Voges getting in the zone ahead of day three. He'll resume on 2* with the Aussies trailing by 7 runs #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/RYdysz4zX6
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) February 21, 2016
Hello OBOers
And welcome to day three of this second Test between Australia and New Zealand. Brendon McCullum belted the Aussies from pillar to post on day one as his side posted a helter skelter 370 in 65 overs but yesterday the tourists showed that there’s more than one way to skin a cat, calmly moving themselves within touching distance of that total for the loss of only 4 wickets.
Today bona fide batsman Adam Voges and nightwatchman Nathan Lyon resume. Firing away at them first will be Tim Southee and Trent Boult, but Neil Wagner was the man who hit the right notes late on day two when he removed the centurions Smith and Burns. Can he repeat the dose with a short-pitched barrage today? One thing is for sure, this Hagley Oval pitch has slowed down considerably since day one and it’ll be more hard graft for the bowlers.
You? You should get in contact with me throughout the day with all your comments and quips. Emails, tweets – they’re all good. Simon Doull is currently standing by the pitch with Mark Richardson and by the looks on their faces it hasn’t turned green again over night. Adam Voges will be licking his lips.
Russell will be here shortly. In the meantime, have a read of what people thought of Steve Smith’s courageous innings on day two after being struck on the helmet by a Neil Wagner bouncer:
