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Posted:
2024-03-01 21:31:45
Original link:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-02/australia-vs-new-zealand-first-test-day-three-live-blog/103537644
New Zealand has fought hard with the bat to give itself an outside chance of an historic victory at Basin Reserve, but Australia remains in the box seat after day three of the first Test.
New Zealand closed the day's play at 3-108 with Rachin Ravindra 54* and Daryl Mitchell 11*, still 258 runs away from victory.
But a brilliant spell from spinner Glenn Phillips earlier in the day and some tough batting by Ravindra especially have kept the door ajar for what would be the greatest run chase in New Zealand's Test history.
Nathan Lyon and Usman Khawaja resumed their innings to begin day three, and the nightwatchman set a brisk pace with assertive batting.
Lyon rode his luck but quickly closed in on what could have been a maiden Test half-century, only to be caught at midwicket off Matt Henry's bowling for 41 — which incredibly remained the innings' top score.
Khawaja was more circumspect but kept the singles ticking over. The introduction of part-time spinner Glenn Phillips frustrated the opener though, and eventually Khawaja ran past one and was out stumped for 28.
Phillips was only just getting started. Travis Head made some quick runs before the lunch break but was out almost immediately after, holing out to long off for 29.
Mitch Marsh followed the very next ball, popping a turning Phillips delivery straight into the hands of Will Young at short leg.
Phillips then accounted for Alex Carey, who chased a wider one and drove it straight to Tim Southee at short cover.
With his tail up, Phillips completed his five-wicket-haul by removing Cameron Green (34), who had looked solid amid the chaos, with another excellent ball that caught the inside edge and presented Young with the chance to take a fine diving catch.
It was Phillips' first Test and first class five-fa, an impressive result for a man who was originally a wicketkeeper.
Phillips should have had Pat Cummins soon after, only for both Scott Kuggeleijn and sub fielder Henry Nicholls to drop simple catches in the outfield. Matt Henry was the beneficiary, removing Cummins via an outside edge to slip to end an electric hour of cricket.
Henry had another before the close, bowling Mitch Starc to end Australia's innings on 164 — the sixth lowest by an Australian team in Tests against New Zealand.
The success of Phillips should have acted as a warning for what to expect for the home batters, and their worst fears were realised with Lyon thrown the ball after just five overs.
It took just two balls for him to make the breakthrough, a poor ball dragged short and wide that Tom Latham (8) edged to Carey while attempting a cut.
Lyon thought he had Kane Williamson next ball with an equally poor delivery, the New Zealand talisman pulling at a ball well wide down the leg side and just missing getting an edge, despite the indignant appeals of Carey and Steve Smith.
Williamson's value to the Black Caps is impossible to measure, the sigh of relief that blew through the Basin Reserve when the not out signal came up on the big screen enough to illustrate just how much was weighing on his shoulders.
He made it safely to tea, but not much beyond that.
A change of angle from Lyon from around the wicket drew an inside edge to leg slip, where Smith made no mistake — his 181st grab in Test cricket to pull level with of Mark Waugh for second of all time for Australia.
The former skipper was in the game again, taking a stunning left-handed grab to account for Will Young for a 52-ball 15, off part-timer Travis Head.
Mitchell then joined Ravindra at the crease, and despite some early scares, conspired to see out the rest of the day with his young teammate.
The task in front of New Zealand remains enormous, but with two days of play remaining time is on the Black Caps' side.
Australia, for its part, will be content and confident knowing it is seven wickets away from victory on a pitch that is offering plenty for the bowlers.
Look back at how the day's action unfolded in our live blog.
STUMPS: New Zealand 3-111 (Ravindra 52, Mitchell 12) 258 runs behind
What a tremendous day's play, and with that battling fourth-wicket partnership, the game is still somewhat in the balance.
Australia are still overwhelming favourites, there's no escaping that.
But Rachin Ravindra looks like a proper Test batter, battling hard and playing his shots all day to keep his side in with a chance.
Nathan Lyon is speaking after the day's play and describes Ravindra as being a future "superstar" and praises the way he has fought back into the contest - and he's right.
If this pair can stay around for a long period tomorrow - certainly the first session at least - then this could get very interesting.
There is the fear of weather tomorrow though, so hopefully that doesn't intervene and ruin what has been a wonderful Test so far.
Myself and Dean Bilton will be back for it tomorrow and we hope you will be too.
40th over - Hazlewood to bowl the last over of the day
The clock has ticked over past the half hour so we're into the last over for sure now.
Hazlewood takes his time as well, setting his field.
Bouncer, Ravindra leaves it well alone.
He defends the next, playing the ball down into the ground.
Ravindra pulls hard! There's a man out there but the ball falls very short of him. It's not the cleanest of strikes - had it been, Mitch Marsh would have been in the game.
Mitchell defends.
Now he ducks under the penultimate ball of the day.
Mitchell clips off his pads for a single to end the over.
39th over - Lyon will have another
This will definitely be his last.
Three close catchers all in a ring around the bat.
Lovely solid defence to the ball, soft hands playing the ball down in front of him.
Ravindra backs away and cuts to backward point.
Lyon loses his line and they run a couple down to fine leg - nice running and a neatly timed shot from Ravindra.
Solid defence from Ravindra here.
Ravindra doesn't need to back away this time, cutting for a single out to
That's the 50 partnership
It's come off 116 balls, Mitchell has provided 11 of them, Ravindra 33. A crucial innings.
Drift from Lyon outside off, Mitchell gets a big stride in and leaves it alone.
38th over - Josh Hazlewood is thrown the ball
Apparently not. Here is Josh Hazlewood returning for one last over.
EDGED! Mitchell is squared up and the ball flies safely to point for no run.
Mitchell leaves outside off.
Short, Mitchell does not want to hook this late in the day - so gets under it.
Two slips, gully and leg gully in place. Mitchell defends solidly, positively into the off side - he's looking so much better than he did earlier in his innings. I would not have put much money on him being here for 58 balls...
Dead ball called, the ball clips his pad and goes down to the rope but umpire Michael Gough says there was no shot played. Looked a bit rough to me, he presented the bat to the ball down the line and it jagged back a mile to hit him. Anyway, no runs.
He defends.
37th over - Lyon is going to have another
Only 10 minutes or so remaining in today's play, so could end up being his last.
Two slips, a silly cover and Ravindra defends.
Ravindra defends on the bounce to that silly cover, staring into each other's eyes as Travis Head under the helmet catches the ball.
Lots of encouragement for Lyon from Marnus at second slip.
BEATEN! Ravindra just stepped back and looked to defend but it turned and bounced hard off the deck and went past the outside edge.
Tight leave by Ravindra outside off - a good stride by Ravindra to a ball that slid on.
Ravindra defends the last.
Will Australia go to spin to be certain of getting one more in from Lyon?
36th over - Mitch Starc will carry on
Ravindra clips into the off side and gets a single, just a push to cover point.
Mitchell defends into the off side. "No run!" says Mitchell sharply.
Two slips and a gully, Mitchell drives into the off side, standing up and punching to mid off for a single.
Ravindra gets a single as well, a little push to point that he takes off for quickly. Nice batting.
"NO!" screams Mitchell firmly as he defends solidly.
Off the inside edge, they'll grab a couple to deep square leg off the bat of Mitchell to end the over.
35th over - Back comes the GOAT
Lyon gets the ball spitting and turning and jumping off the deck to Mitchell.
He brings out the reverse sweep for no run to leg gully.
Mitchell is having to battle a bit, back in his crease, presenting a straight bat to the ball at every opportunity.
Solid defence again - a maiden for Lyon first over back.
34th over - Starc continues
First though, the new spikes are coming out and the hammer comes on to try and make the landing zone a bit more palatable to Starc.
Mitchell defends the first and clips the second to midwicket for no run, something he confirms twice with Ravindra, who didn't seem too worried about sprinting down the track even with a minor misfield.
Solid defence again from Mitchell, who is battling at 7 off 42 balls.
Now he takes a single, just a push into the off side past mid off. Good running for the first run, they turn but Cummins and specialist fielder Marnus gave chase hard and they sent each other back.
FOUR! Ravindra pulls to deep backward square for another boundary.
That's the fifty for Rachin Ravindra - on his home ground too
It's come off 77 balls and has been superb for the young batter, who burst into the side during the Cricket World Cup and has not looked out of place one bit.
This is his first fifty (at the moment) in Tests - the last time he passed this score he got a double century two Tests ago on debut.
There's a little appeal for leg before, which is shut down crudely by Mitchell, who shouts down Starc's appeal as being a bit silly. Needle in the middle - you love to see it.
33rd over - Head carries on
Mitchell hammers the ball back down the ground, into the stumps at the non-strikers end. Labuschagne appeals, but Head says that he did not get anything on it - and sounded a bit annoyed either at being asked, or at not doing so. Good job he didn't from Ravindra's perspective, because he was out of his ground by a distance. They run a single.
SIX! That's been hit out the ground! Through the gates! Ravindra on one knee hammers the ball over wide long on. A member of the TVNZ crew runs out the gate, stops the traffic on the Basin Reserve roundabout and retrieves the ball - I wonder how often that happens at this ground - it's not massive afterall.
32nd over - Back into the attack comes Mitch Starc
How is Ravindra against genuine pace?
FOUR! Not bad when it's a rank, short, long hop outside off, Ravindra cuts that beautifully away for a boundary through cover point.
BEATEN! A beauty from Starc, Ravindra fends towards the ball which passes by the outside edge. Marnus looked like he wanted to appeal there.
Ravindra fends the ball to point - he likes to play at the ball does Ravindra and you wonder whether he needs to play at those rising balls outside off like that.
Down the leg side as Mitch Starc delves into his pick 'n' mix bag of deliveries, Ravindra leaves it alone.
EDGED! SHORT OF SMITH AT SLIP! Soft hands, the ball just angling away from Ravindra who sends it half a yard short of Smith.
Well wide outside off, and it's called a wide too. Terrible ball.
Ravindra fends to backward point where Head does a great piece of fielding to deny the local boy a run.
31st over - Back comes Travis Head
Head has a slip and bat pad for Ravindra, who backs away and cuts hard off his stumps for a single into the covers. Blimey - that's risky, a skiddy sorta bowler is Head and that could easily skid onto the stumps.
Good turn from Head to Mitchell, who defends down into the pitch off his hip.
Just a clip into the leg side but there's no run.
Smith and Labuschagne are really enjoying themselves, part-time spinners union together again.
Reverse sweep for Mitchell brings no joy for him.
Now he defends the last as we cut away from footage of Josh Hazlewood being asked to sign a patron's body on the boundary.
30th over - Cummins is giving himself another
Mitchell leaves outside off.
Mitchell hooks, specialist fielder and cheerleader in the field Marnus Labuschagne screams "catch it, catch it," but the ball falls very safe - he didn't get great contact on it.
Leg slip for Ravindra, two orthodox slips and a gully. Ravindra defends.
FOUR! Lovely pull shot, Ravindra was onto that in a flash, really well controlled, it was hit down and straight to the rope backward of square leg as Cummins doesn't get that delivery up enough.
Fuller delivery from Cummins, Ravindra defends.
Clipped into the leg side for a single to end the over.
29th over - The GOAT skips in again
Ravindra fends the ball past silly cover for no run.
There are two slips in place too and Ravindra defends solidly in front of them.
Ravindra backs away late and slashes the ball to backward point for no run.
Ravindra does the same again, this one skidded on a bit more and Ravindra was rushed.
He leaves outside off as the ball turns away out of the rough.
Lyon drifts one and in Ravindra sees out the maiden.
Full house in Wellington
Great crowds, Drew.
Full house for all three of the first days of this Test in Wellington.
28th over - Cummins around the wicket
Two slips, gully, leg gully and a bouncer that Ravindra ducks under.
EDGED! Through slips to third man for a boundary! It would have been the best slips catch you'd ever see, Smith leaping like a salmon to his left with the ball just going past his left hand.
Ravindra defends a ball that does pop up off the pitch a little bit.
Ravindra clips off his pads for a single to midwicket.
Mitchell adjusts himself as Cummins comes back over the wicket and sends a couple outside off to end the over.
27th over - Nathan Lyon continues
Mitchell lets the ball hit his hip.
Now he lets the ball go past that same hip.
FOUR! Mitchell sweeps, the extra bounce takes the ball over the top of his swishing bat, over Carey and down to backstop.
Mitchell turns the ball past bat pad for no run to square leg.
Turning sharply outside leg stump.
Steve Smith appeals for some unknown reason as the ball pops up off the deck and hits Mitchell on the leg side.
27th over - Cummins carries on
There is an awful lot of chat from the buoyant Australian fielders, Nathan Lyon's voice is conspicuous.
Mitchell defends solidly.
Now Mitchell gets hit on the thigh pad and is looking all sorts of uncomfortable at the moment.
BEATEN! Mitchell prods forward and has a ball that nips away past the outside edge.
Better defence from Mitchell, taking a step or two down the pitch to move those sticky feet and then defends solidly - a strong shout of the sort that everyone used to say indicated that David Warner was in good touch. Mitchell aint that.
Mitchell backs away late as a gust of wind blows some dust into his eyes. The wind is strong by Australian standards, but barely registers from a Wellington perspective.
He leaves nicely.
Now he clips away to steal the strike again - he's monopolising it at the moment which is never a good thing for the man at the other end.
26th over - Lyon carries on
Mitchell unsticks his feet and gets back defending in his crease to Lyon around the wicket.
CLOSE! What is Mitchell doing? He has a wild slog at the ball after skipping down the pitch, I was closer sitting in Brisbane than he was to hitting it, the ball turns, hits his pad, goes past the stumps and Carey for a leg bye. Horrible shot in what is turning into a suicidal innings.
Ravindra pads up to a ball that turns a bit from wide of leg stump.
Solid defence this time from Ravindra.
The shadows of the clouds are racing across the ground as the wind continues to blow.
Ravindra defends.
Two slips and a silly cover, Ravindra defends in front of all of them.
25th over - Travis Head has been yanked for Pat Cummins
Thanks Dean. Rough on Travis Head, this, who bowled two overs, 1-2.
Cummins comes in, Ravindra clips away to midwicket for a quick single.
Leg slip in place to Mitchell, two orthodox slips and a gully.
BEATEN! Mitchell looks all at sea against quality pace bowling, Cummins with an away swinger that has Mitchell feeling for it outside off. It was a poor shot, as good as the ball was.
He defends the next far better.
BIG APPEAL! Looked a bit up to be honest and they won't review it. Good ball though, swinging it away, nipping back in, Mitchell's feet are glued to the pitch and he's a touch fortunate. There was an inside edge too, snicko tells us.
Mitchell steals a single off the last ball to farm the strike.