Australia vs New Zealand: First Test, Day 4 cricket live scores, blog

Match result

Australia have wrapped up a commanding win to start the series against New Zealand, rolling through the Kiwis on Day 4.

The real story of the victory was the strength of the bowling performance. Josh Hazlewood lasted just eight balls for the match, meaning Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon had a mountain of work to get through.

Get through it they did, the trio taking all ten New Zealand wickets on Day 4 to wrap up a fantastic win. Cummins only took two today but was the pick of the bowlers, his unrelenting control laying the platform for Starc and Lyon to take four apiece.

Mitchell Starc was named player of the match for his nine wickets, five in the first innings and four in the second.

New Zealand weren’t half as bad as the scoreline suggests. They had the worst of the pitch conditions to bat on (on what was an excellent wicket for Test cricket) and lost a quick of their own in Lockie Ferguson on Day 1. They attacked Australia’s batsmen with excellent bowling plans, and the effort from Neil Wagner and Tim Southee last night was superb. Improvement is needed no doubt, but more consistency with the bat, and making the most of the starts for their batsmen, should see them properly challenge Australia in Melbourne.

Attention now turns to who’ll be in the teams for Boxing Day. It looks a straight two-horse race between Michael Neser and James Pattinson to replace Hazlewood, while Trent Boult will be hoping to be fit to replace Ferguson.

Australia 416 and 9(dec)/217 def. New Zealand 166 and 171 by 296 runs.

Preview

Australia are in a commanding position but a gutsy stint with the ball from New Zealand means the result of the first Test at Optus Stadium is still not quite certain – at least not just yet. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of Day 4 from 3:45 (AEDT).

A typically clinical effort from Australia’s bowlers has given the hosts the ascendancy in this day-night Test match. Restricting the Black Caps to just 166 in their first innings set up a lead of 250, and the 167 added by the batsmen – Joe Burns (53) and Marnus Labuschagne (50) the notable contributors – means a world record run-chase is on the cards for New Zealand.

But the visitors showed great fight last night to ensure the game didn’t completely slip away. They had far and away the best of the night session, taking 5-92 as Tim Southee (4-63) and Neil Wagner (2-40) bowled superbly to ensure some momentum is on their side as Day 4 gets underway.

New Zealand were helped considerably by wayward, dawdling tactics from Australia. They never really looked to score in the last hour – Matthew Wade, for example, preferring to be hit by Wagner’s bouncers rather than take him on and look for quick runs.

Given how the pink ball has misbehaved under lights this Test, one has to wonder why Tim Paine left his batsmen out in the middle to block and flinch their way to stumps instead of declaring and giving Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins a quick spell with the new Kookaburra before recovering and readying themselves for the rest of the fourth innings overnight.

Even with that opportunity lost, a declaration is imminent. Australia will want to have a new ball available to them tonight, and the only way that happens is by bowling immediately this afternoon.

Prediction
With Josh Hazlewood out for the rest of this match with a hamstring strain, Cummins and Starc will need early breakthroughs. Nathan Lyon will have a mountain of work to get through, so expect New Zealand, particularly Ross Taylor, to target him in an attempt to force him out of the attack.

Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Wade will be called upon by Paine to pick up some of the bowling slack, and in 40-degree heat for the fourth day in a row, it’s going to be a hard slog for Australia against a New Zealand side who have shown little inclination towards rolling over.

Kane Williamson’s men will make their hosts work for the victory, but it looks inevitable – if not today, then tomorrow.

Join The Roar to see how the fourth day unfolds from 4pm (AEDT).

Game information

First ball: 4pm (AEDT)
Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth
TV: Channel Seven, Fox Cricket
Online: Kayo Sports, Foxtel Go
Session times (AEDT): Afternoon: 4pm-6pm, Evening: 6:40pm-8:40pm, Night: 9pm-11pm
Odds: Australia $1.02, New Zealand $31, draw $41
Teams

Australia
David Warner, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Travis Head, Tim Paine (c, wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

New Zealand
Jeet Raval, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling (wk), Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Lockie Ferguson

Preview by Daniel Jeffrey