Australia have defeated New Zealand in the Test at Adelaide Oval on the third day, and claimed a 2-0 series win to retain the Trans-Tasman Cup.
REPORT: AUSTRALIA VICTORIOUS AS MARSH PROVES HIS WORTH
Josh Hazlewood was named man of the match for his nine wickets, six of them in the second innings in the absence of Mitch Starc, but it was a much-maligned member of Australia’s batting order who turned heads on the final day.
Shaun Marsh had a knock of 49 runs that proved to be a turning point for the Australian batting order as he built solid partnerships with both Adam Voges and brother Mitch that helped Australia into a winning position.
Mitch Starc again played through the pain to take his part in the batting order, and it was he and Peter Siddle who ran for the final two runs that gave Australia the win.
Final Scores
Australia 224 and 7/187 def.
New Zealand 202 and 208
The third day of the third cricket Test match will see Australia and New Zealand slug it out under the lights in Adelaide. Join The Roar‘s for live scores and commentary from 2pm (AEDT).
Batting hasn’t been easy at the Adelaide Oval so far, definitely not as easy as it was in the first two Tests of the series.
The green on the pitch and extra zip the bowlers have been able to extract from the surface under the lights have made life difficult for the batsmen and the Test has moved at a rather rapid pace.
Two days on, 25 wickets have fallen and New Zealand are just ahead by 94 runs having lost half their side in the second innings.
What makes matters worse for New Zealand is their top-order is back into the pavilion. Come Day 3, there won’t be any of Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum or Kane Williamson to bail them out of their troubles – it will be left to their lower-order to do all the fighting.
It was a mixed Day 2 for New Zealand.
They would have been happy to restrict Australia to just a 22-run lead, but with the hosts at 8-116 at one stage, their final score of 224 would hurt.
What would hurt more is the Nathan Lyon decision that went against them.
Lyon was given not out to a caught appeal, New Zealand reviewed the decision and on replays Hot Spot showed a clear edge. Unfortunately for New Zealand, there was nothing on the RTS – real-time Snickometer – and the third umpire refused to overrule the on-field decision.
The pair added 72 runs after that and coming at a time when New Zealand would have been busy with thoughts of batting again with a healthy lead, it was a cruel blow.
A thwack-a-minute by Mitchell Starc helped add a further 34 for the final wicket with Peter Nevill, who fought out with a 50 of his own.
New Zealand could have still sealed a good day’s play but fell to the seam and swing of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh, both of whom shared the five wickets.
In the absence of the injured Starc, Hazlewood rocked the top-order with the wickets of both openers and later returned to send back the man in form, Taylor. Marsh had McCullum lbw after Williamson had fished at a delivery outside the off to offer a simple catch to the keeper.
New Zealand will be hoping to push their lead up to 200 from here on. Yet not only will that be difficult for the lower-order, but the question will then be whether it’s enough.
It might not be a high-scoring game and the spinners could slowly come into their own on Day 3 – it’s already turning a bit. But New Zealand do need to get some runs on the board for their bowlers.
Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 2pm (AEDT) on Sunday and post your comments in the section below.
Bobbo7
Guest
Australia have been the better side though NZ has not played that well. Guptill, McCullum and the bowlers have had a pretty average series. Hoping NZ are better prepared when the teams play in NZ
Bobbo7
Guest
Anderson has to be in there. He would have been 5 or 6 but for injury
rasty
Guest
I did not see the questionable calls on Smith and Warner (presumably Aus best bats) you write of? However we are all witness to the majority of sooking Kiwi supporters that have recently flooded this site.
rasty
Guest
Thanks for the advice mate, can I give you some in response? Stop sooking!
JVGO
Guest
Australia lost their best bowler in the first innings, our two best batsmen got questionable decisions and the Kiwis are whinging that a number eleven batsmen got a life. Seriously. As a number eleven batsmen they should have just got him out the next over. Crybabies or what?
JoM
Roar Rookie
No he wouldn't have batted differently at all. Any bowler who is good at bowling yorkers knows if they get it wrong it is over the boundary rope or over the fence. My point was that my son said he would have been targetting that foot or close enough to it. Starc would have expected it as well and he said thank you when the spinner came on. If he can score 99 in India against their spinners then he would have no trouble against a spinner out here.
Don Freo
Guest
Apart from the fact he top scored and guided Oz to victory when others fell around him.
Nudge
Guest
"They prepared a green top with a ludicrous amount of grass so as not to destroy the ball". Yet mcullum won the toss and batted. Couldn't have looked too bad to him champ
jamesb
Guest
Whatever happened to Dean Brownlie?
WQ
Guest
Excellent response rasty, now have your milk and cookies and pop off to bed, it's way past your bed time
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Santner looks a great prospect, I think NZ should back him in as their main spinner. It's so easy for young spinners to struggle at the top level because they lose confidence when they get taken to, which is quite often for any newcomer. But Santner showed with bat and ball in this match that he has an extremely impressive temperament - a real steely resolve. That will take him far as a spinner, and obviously also as a batsman. This is NZ's best side as I see it: 1. Latham 2. Anyone Butguptill 3. Williamson 4. Taylor 5. McCullum 6. Neesham 7. Watling 8. Santner 9. Southee 10. Henry 11. Boult
rasty
Guest
That is one big, impressive girly type sook. Congrats for that one!
Sideline Comm.
Guest
Boult looks a beauty mate, the 2 test over there will be very interesting. A real chance to square the "trans-Tasman series" up 2-2.
WQ
Guest
The momentum was with New Zealand and was gifted back to Australia by a very poor decision, you can talk up Starc as much as you like, but I suspect if he is walking in with the score on 113 he would have batted differently! All very well to talk about your son bowling Yorkers all the time but if it was that easy why don't we see Test bowlers bowling 6 Yorkers every over? The reason we don't is because it's not that easy to do, has a high margin for error and a low percentage of wicket taking which is what New Zealand needed at the time! The 3 day Test match has a lot to do with the wicket and the fact that Australian Cricket could not afford a failure with the pink ball. They prepared a green top with a ludicrous amount of grass so as not to destroy the ball, that is what created the 3 day Test Match!
WQ
Guest
I didn't, just kept up to date with the Roar every now and then!
Jameswm
Guest
And they are two guys who could be very important for us over the next 5 years.
Jameswm
Guest
Is that Nathan Astle's kid?
Targa
Guest
Craig's figures for the series 102 Overs 5 Maidens 513 runs conceded for 8 wickets 5 runs an over, 1 maiden every 20 overs. Santner can stay at 6 with Neesham and Anderson both injured and Williamson can bowl a bit if needed. Sorry but Craig can go back to 1st class cricket and probably fall behind leggies Todd Astle and Ish Sodhi. I wish they'd picked another seamer (Neil Wagner or Matt Henry) for this game.
JoM
Roar Rookie
Really? Nobody knows how many more runs we would have got. I would back Starc to score some even on one foot. My own son, who has played in a few games over the years with Mitch S, said he would have been bowling yorkers at him the whole time, yet your captain gave him exactly what he wanted which was the spinner. Nevertheless, it has been far and away the best test match out of the three and I would much rather watch a 3 day test match with the bowlers coming into play for a change than the borefest that was the WACA and all the other countries around the world that were maybe a bit doubtful about it have probably totally changed their minds.
E-Meter
Guest
Totally agree. Definitely need more test series against NZ. They play a top brand of cricket. The return series promises plenty.