Australia have set New Zealand a big total to chase and left them with plenty of work to do after declaring on the second day of the Test at the WACA.
David Warner’s heroic knock ended early in the day, he managed just nine runs this morning before being caught by Mark Craig, but was cheered off the WACA after amassing 253 runs in more than six hours at the crease.
What was left of Australia’s batting order after the wickets of Joe Burns, Usman Khwaja and Warner had fallen struggled to find the comfort and control that they had at the crease.
Steve Smith fell not much later with just 27 runs to his name, eventually followed by Adam Voges (41) and Mitch Marsh (34).
The tail end of the Australian batting order collapsed swiftly, as Peter Nevill, Mitch Johnson and Mitch Starc all fell in the space of five balls in the 132nd over, courtesy of Mark Craig.
Craig’s three wickets was the most of any bowler for the Black Caps though he also conceded 123 runs, tied with Trent Boult as the most for New Zealand – despite bowling three less overs than Boult.
Matt Henry and Doug Bracewell along with Boult each took two wickets, with Bracewell the most economic of the wicket-takers with 3.24 runs per over against his name.
With Josh Hazelwood and Nathan Lyon at the crease Australia declared, finishing their innings at 9/559. Lyon faced just one ball, hitting it for a four, leaving him with an amusing 400% strike rate.
The Black Caps came into bat with a big task in front of them and Australia was on the front foot early. Starc bowled opener Martin Guptill leg before wicket when Guptill held just a single run to his name.
However Guptill was replaced by Kane Williamson who settled in for a productive partnership with Tom Latham, as the pair put together 85 runs before Latham was caught by Steve Smith.
Ross Taylor came in to replace Latham and it’s he and Williamson who will be at the crease when play resumes on Sunday. Taylor has 26 runs to his name while Williamson is up to 70, and pushing for another century.
New Zealand trail by 419 runs and realistically don’t have much chance at a victory but would be happy to have only lost two wickets in today’s play.
They will likely aim to hold out for a draw, but need to make up at least another 220 runs tomorrow in order to avoid any chance of Australia enforcing a follow on.
Like the Test at the Gabba, this one looks likely to come down to how quickly Australia can bowl the Black Caps out. With three days left, there’s plenty of time.
Sign the man up for a contract next season!
RCB have suffered a massive HEAD-ACHE after Travis Head smashed the fastest century by an SRH player in just 39 balls, as they amassed…
A brutal century by Travis Head has blasted Sunrisers Hyderabad back into the Indian Premier League play-off places in another match for bowlers to…
The Indian veteran came to the crease inside the final over before casually despatching three balls over the rope to get Chennai over the…
With only two wickets in four games leading into the game, the Aussie paceman finished with 3/28 as his Knight Riders recorded an eight-wicket…
Two Aussies abroad have endured wildly different fortunes as Jake Fraser-McGurk joined the world stage with a thrilling first IPL half century, but Scott…
