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Australia are tracking towards a comfortable victory in the first trans-Tasman Test, reducing New Zealand to 4-178 in their second innings at stumps on day three in Wellington.
The tourists hold a 201-run lead thanks largely to Adam Voges’ masterful 239, which gave them a record first-innings buffer of 379 runs.
Sunday’s action finished with the dismissal of outgoing NZ skipper Brendon McCullum, who unsuccessfully reviewed a plumb lbw verdict in the final over.
Peter Siddle was unable to bowl after delivering the 30th over of the innings because of back spasms but team medical staff expect the seamer will be fit for day four.
Voges, who boosted his average to 97.46, was always going to prove a hard act to follow at the Basin Reserve.
Kane Williamson loomed as the man most likely to achieve such a feat.
Williamson is one of the best batsmen in the world and his career-best knock of 242no came at the ground last year, when he spearheaded a come-from-behind win over Sri Lanka.
The Black Caps’ boy wonder was instead out for 22, prodding forward to a pinpoint delivery from spearhead Josh Hazlewood.
Peter Nevill snaffled the resultant edge as Hazlewood (1-42) added to his haul of 4-42 in the first innings.
Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon (2-35) did well to build the pressure on Williamson, while the offspinner dismissed both openers.
A day of toil from Mitch Marsh (1-40) was rewarded with the scalp of McCullum but it didn’t always look like being Australia’s day.
Tom Latham and Martin Guptill put on an 81-run stand, seeing off the new ball in style.
It was NZ’s highest opening stand in a trans-Tasman Test since 1993.
It was also confirmation of just how much the pitch has flattened out since the hosts crashed to 5-51 in their first dig.
Guptill was the only wicket to fall in the middle session, with Marsh doing well to clutch a swirling skied edge.
Latham stayed at the crease for three-and-a-half hours before charging down the pitch and playing a false stroke.
Usman Khawaja ran around from mid-off to complete the catch.
Latham was on 30 when Marsh found the edge of his bat, however the ball popped out of diving keeper Nevill’s outstretched glove.
He was on 56 when a ball threatened to disturb his stumps after bouncing high off the pitch.
Latham shaped to handle the Kookaburra, as an excited Steve Smith readied to appeal, but regained composure and chested it away.
Henry Nicholls is 31 not out but could have been run out on 15 by David Warner.
Australia have plenty of runs to play with after Voges outscored NZ’s entire first innings by 56 runs.
Voges started the day on 176, his 503-minute masterclass ending when he chipped a ball back to offspinner Mark Craig.
Voges couldn’t be accused of batting for his average, smacking three sixes as he piloted Australia to their highest ever first-innings buffer over NZ.
Voges was on seven when he shouldered arms and was clean bowled by Doug Bracewell on day one, only for umpire Richard Illingworth to incorrectly signal no-ball.
Replays confirmed Bracewell had part of his foot behind the line.
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