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New Zealand vs Australia: First Test - Day 1 cricket live scores, highlights, blog

11th February, 2016
First ball: 8:30am (AEDT)
Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington
TV: Live, Fox Sports
Betting: Australia $2.25, New Zealand $2.40, Draw $4.70

Australia XI:
Joe Burns, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Adam Voges, Mitch Marsh, Peter Nevill (wk), Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird.

New Zealand (Squad)
Brendon McCullum (c), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Mark Craig, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling (wk), Kane Williamson, Luke Ronchi
Brendon McCullum spanked a ton off just 54 balls. (AP Photo/SNPA, Ross Setford)
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11th February, 2016
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Day one update:

Australia have taken clear honours on Day One of the first Test match against New Zealand, going to stumps only 36 runs behind with seven first innings wickets in hand.

Winning the toss on what looked like a very green wicket, Australian captain Steve Smith elected to put New Zealand into bat, and despite a shaky start for his bowlers it paid dividends very quickly.

New Zealand flew out of the blocks, reaching 0 for 17 in just two overs with Martin Guptil trying to improve on his recent Test match performances, simply by showing aggressive intent.

His opening partner Tom Latham would be the first to go, with the bowling of Johs Hazlewood proving too much for him. Kane Williamson then came to the crease and went about building a partnership with Guptill.

They found this a lot easier to do against the bowling of Jackson Bird, and it didn’t take long before he was replaced in the attack by Peter Siddle. He and Hazlewood then got rid of both Williamson and Guptill, before going onto remove Brendon McCullum and Henry Nicholls in quick time.

Corey Anderson and BJ Watling would then join at the crease, in real trouble with the score at 5 for 51. They would put on a much needed partnership of 37 runs, before Australia got back on top taking the wicket of Watling and then Bracewell.

Mark Craig proved to be a rock for Anderson, and would end up not out, top scoring with 41.

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Corey Anderson got out to a terrible shot from the bowling of Nathan Lyon before Trent Boult came in and hit three big sixes to get New Zealand to 181.

Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle were by far the pick of the bowlers.

In reply, Australia looked in all sorts of trouble early on with both Joe Burns and David Warner back in the sheds with the score reading 2 for 5 in the third over.

Burns original decision of not out was reviewed and overturned, before Warner lashed at a wide ball and got an edge through to Watling.

From there Usman Khawaja who is 57 not out, and Smith who scored 71 put on 126 in a massive third wicket partnership to steady the innings. New Zealand didn’t bowl well at all, regularly releasing the pressure with boundary balls. In fact, in just 32 overs, with the pressure on there was 21 boundaries.

Eventually Steve Smith was caught and bowled by Craig, before Adam Voges came to the crease with about 20 minutes of the day left. He and Khawaja successfully navigated their way through to stumps but had a scary minute in the final over.

With Bracewell bowling, Voges left one that nipped back quite a distance and took the off stump. The umpire, called it a no-ball, but it was quickly established on replay that it in fact wasn’t. Unfortunately for New Zealand nothing could be done about it.

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So, Australia taking the honours on day one at the Basin Reserve, and finding themselves in a commanding position.

New Zealand 1st innings- 10/183 (48)
Australia 1st innings – 3/147 (40)

Australia trail by 36 runs with 7 wickets in hand.

Day One Preview:

Despite winning the recent one-day series, New Zealand will have revenge on their minds as they take on Australia in the first Test of a two match series at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage of Day 1 from 8am (AEDT).

New Zealand managed to claim the one-day series by 55 runs on Monday, but after getting beaten in the series that was played in Australia at the end of last year, they will still have revenge on their mind, and feel like the job is only half done.

Brendon McCullum starts his final series before retirement, and will have an absolutely pivotal role to play if New Zealand are to get over the line. His batting is a force to be reckoned with, but aggressive captaincy is going to be where it’s at.

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He has to try and get Australia feeling unsettled early on in the match and series, getting them on the back foot. With some inexperience in the Australian squad and Steve Smith as captain, Australia may struggle to recover from a bad start.

With that said, either David Warner and Joe Burns or Josh Hazlewood is going to have a massive role to play in getting Australia on top of the match and settling the mood of the dressing room early on. Smith, you feel will also have a much better performance if he can be on top of the captaincy situation and not feel like that is leaving him under pressure.

From a New Zealand point of view, Tim Southee returns from injury and will open the bowling with Trent Boult. They must put Australia’s presumed weakness against seam bowling under the pump early on with the new ball, attempting to expose Australia’s middle order.

The spin bowlers, while not having a huge role to play on Day 1, you feel at some point will play a big part in this match. Mark Craig has plenty to prove after an abysmal performance in Australia during the first series, and Nathan Lyon has become maybe the most important bowler in the Australian attack.

The weather is expected to stay fine for the full course of the match, but both teams will be keen to keep thing moving with it being quite unpredictable in Wellington.

The toss, could play a big part in this match as well. With a green wicket expected, it is going to put the pressure on whichever captain wins.

Be sure to join The Roar for live scores and coverage of Day 1 from 8am (AEDT) and don’t forget to leave your own comments in the section below as the match unfolds.

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