Key events
4th over: New Zealand 6-1 (Latham 4, Williamson 0) Latham tries to whip a full ball from Hazlewood to leg and gets a leading edge back to the bowler. It was safe enough, all along the floor. He’s happy to leave anything on a good length outside off stump; the result is a maiden.
3rd over: New Zealand 6-1 (Latham 4, Williamson 0) The new batsman is Kane Williamson, who is long overdue against Australia. His last Test fifty against them was in 2016, since when his run of scores is 34, 14, 9, 0, 0, 9 and 17.
Starc greets him with another lifter that zings through to Carey. New Zealand trail by 88.
WICKET! New Zealand 6-1 (Young c Carey b Starc 1)
Classic Mitchell Starc: a wide followed by a snorter to take the first wicket. It was a brilliant delivery, which lifted from a perfect line and length. Young pushed defensively and thin-edged it through to Alex Carey.
2nd over: New Zealand 5-0 (Latham 4, Young 1) Josh Hazlewood, who ran through New Zealand yesterday and has taken 28 wickets at 12 this year, shares the new ball.
Latham gets off the mark with a crisp drive through extra cover for four; Hazlewood beats him next up with a beauty. On commentary, Brendon Julian echoes the opinion of Matt Henry that this is a new-ball pitch.
1st over: New Zealand 0-0 (Latham 0, Young 0) Starc’s first delivery of the innings is a classic outswinger that beats Latham all ends up. In fact the ball moves throughout a fine first over which ends with Latham again playing and missing.
Marnus Labuschagne is the only player to get past 40 in this game. Australia’s total was built on his excellent 90 but also a series of useful 20s from the bowlers. Now it’s time for the day job.
Australia lead by 94 runs
Matt Henry leads the team off after another outstanding effort. He finished with figures of 23-4-67-7, a record for New Zealand at home to Australia, and was close to a one-man attack. The other seamers had combined figures of 2 for 169.
WICKET! Australia 256 all out (Cummins LBW b Henry 23)
Matt Henry finishes the job by taking his seventh wicket. Cummins, on the walk, got his pad stuck behind his front pad and was hit in front by a very full delivery. Marais Erasmus gave it not out but New Zealand reviewed straight away. It looked plumb and replays confirmed as much.
67th over: Australia 255-9 (Cummins 23, Hazlewood 0) Fantastic batting from Pat Cummins, who clubs the new bowlers Ben Sears for 18 from four balls. After three fours of varying quality – down the ground, over midwicket and over the slips – he launched the final ball of the over into the crowd at midwicket. All of a sudden, Australia lead by 93.
Meanwhile, Niall Connolly points out that Henry had figures of 6 for 66 at the end of the 66th over.
66th over: Australia 237-9 (Cummins 5, Hazlewood 0) A fortnight ago, Matt Henry had taken four wickets an average of 110 in Tests against Australia. In this series he’s picked up 14 at an average of 12.
WICKET! Australia 237-9 (Starc c Blundell b Henry 28)
Six wickets for the outstanding Matt Henry. Starc has another mow across the line but this time gets a gossamer-thin edge through to the keeper. That ends the second handy innings of the day from an Australian bowler, 28 to go with Nathan Lyon’s 20 this morning.
65th over: Australia 236-8 (Starc 28, Cummins 4) Starc clouts Southee over midwicket for four, which extends Australia’s lead to 74. There was a false stroke earlier in the over that landed just short of extra cover; it looked like the ball stopped in the pitch.
64th over: Australia 230-8 (Starc 22, Cummins 4) Henry prefers to bowl from the other end, where he has taken all five wickets, but he’s starting to find some rhythm in this spell. He hits Starc on the thigh, beats the outside edge and induces a smear from Starc that goes safely for a single on the leg side.
63rd over: Australia 229-8 (Starc 21, Cummins 4) Southee keeps Cummins honest with a sharp bouncer that forces Cummins to abort his planned attacking stroke. A fuller ball allows Cummins to force a drive between extra cover and mid-off for four. That’s a nice way to get off the mark.
62nd over: Australia 225-8 (Starc 21, Cummins 0) Matt Henry replaces Glenn Phillips, with a chance to take his second Test seven-for. His second ball is belted whence it came by Starc, a cracking statement of intent. The rest of the over passes without incident.
61st over: Australia 221-8 (Starc 17, Cummins 0) Pat Cummins leaves or defends the last four balls of the over.
The players are back on the field. Tim Southee will resume the over he started before lunch.
Meanwhile, in Dharamsala
“That’s as spectacular a catch as I can recall seeing (Strauss in 2005 maybe?),” writes Gary Naylor. “I like Phillips – as is the case for a good midfielder, you never have to wait too long before he’s in the game: batting, bowling or fielding.”
It had me YouTubing Jonty Rhodes, which would be seen as a compliment in some cultures.
Lunch: Australia lead by 59 runs
The wicket means it’s the last ball before the interval. It was a pretty decent morning for Australia: they lost four wickets but scored at a good rate and built a lead of 59 – useful in any circumstances, very handy given the form of Australia’s bowlers and New Zealand’s top order.
That is an outrageous catch. Labuschagne cut Southee towards backward point, where Phillips flew to his right and took another stunning one-handed grab. I’m running out of ways to say I’m running out of superlatives. to describe his fielding. Labuschagne, who was in total control throughout the session, can’t believe he’s been denied a hundred.
WICKET! Australia 221-8 (Labuschagne c Phillips b Southee 90)
Glenn Phillips has taken another blinder!
60th over: Australia 221-7 (Labuschagne 90, Starc 17) A single off Phillips takes Labuschagne into the nineties. Starc defends a few deliveries before being tempted by a wider, flight delivery that he slaps short of mid off.
59th over: Australia 220-7 (Labuschagne 89, Starc 17) The game is meandering towards the lunch break, which suits Australia more than New Zealand. As well as stockpiling runs with his usual efficiency, Labuschagne has played with a certainty that has made Australia feel in control even with a relatively small lead. At no stage has it felt like New Zealand could pick up the last few wickets in a hurry.
58th over: Australia 217-7 (Labuschagne 87, Starc 16) Starc is struggling against Phillips, who looks a very useful offspinner. He’s beaten outside off, then flicks not far of midwicket at catchable height. That shot brings Starc a couple of runs and extends Australia’s lead to 55.
57th over: Australia 215-7 (Labuschagne 87, Starc 14) Southee replaces Sears, so Henry is being saved until after lunch. Tom Blundell comes up to the stumps to keep Labuschagne in his crease, which is a good excuse to post this old favourite.
Labuschagne finds the fielder a couple of times before squirting past backward point for two. He’s 13 away from a cathartic century.
56th over: Australia 213-7 (Labuschagne 85, Starc 14) Any turn that Phillips gets is double-edged for New Zealand, who will have to face Nathan Lyon later today. A good over ends with Starc fresh-airing a lusty yahoo across the line.
55th over: Australia 212-7 (Labuschagne 84, Starc 14) “Two two two two!” urges Labuschagne the moment he flicks Sears off the pads. Starc obliges, and later in the over Labuschagne plays an even better stroke to the same area for three runs. He looks in complete control.
Seven from the over. Sears appeals for LBW against Starc off the last ball but it clearly pitched outside leg.
54th over: Australia 205-7 (Labuschagne 78, Starc 13) Phillips tempts Starc with a nice bit of flight outside off stump. Starc decides to indulge his basic urges and clatters it over extra cover for four. It wasn’t cleanly struck but it cleared the two fielders. Australia’s lead, 43 now, is creeping into dangerous territory in what is likely to remain a low-scoring game.
53rd over: Australia 198-7 (Labuschagne 75, Starc 9) Surely New Zealand should bring Matt Henry back in place of Sears. It would be ahead of schedule but if they wait until after lunch it could be too late, especially with Australia’s scoring rate. Starc, who has made a breezy start, hits Sears for three consecutive twos.
52nd over: Australia 192-7 (Labuschagne 75, Starc 3) Starc flicks his first ball in the air and not far wide of short leg. Australia lead by 30 and are very thankful for Marnus Labuschagne’s unbeaten 75.
WICKET! Australia 189-7 (Carey c Latham b Phillips 14)
The golden arm strikes again! Glenn Phillips has taken a wicket with his second ball. Carey tried to lap a ball that turned and bounced more than expected and maybe got stuck in the pitch as well; all he could do was toe-end it gently to midwicket.
51st over: Australia 189-6 (Labuschagne 75, Carey 14) Sears’ pace is decent, in the 140s, though Labuschagne and Carey have looked comfortable enough. Carey taps the last ball of the over for a single, thus denying Sears the first maiden of the day.
“There’s something wonderfully relaxing about Tests in NZ isn’t there?” writes Gary Naylor. “I think it’s the level of cooperation on show: hard, but fair cricket with more smiles than snarls; crowds trusted to find their own space on the banks; and respectful applause for friends and foes alike. It should really be available on the NHS.”
50th over: Australia 188-6 (Labuschagne 75, Carey 13) Labuschagne is beaten by a spectacular legcutter from Southee, bowled from wider on the crease.
New Zealand have threatened to take all wickets all morning but they’re struggling to control the run rate. Carey gets three more later in the over with a clatter through the covers.
49th over: Australia 184-6 (Labuschagne 74, Carey 10) Sears replaces Henry, who bowled a menacing spell of 6-0-21-2. A decent start, one from it, and that’s drinks. Australia lead by 22.
48th over: Australia 183-6 (Labuschagne 73, Carey 10) Southee replaces Kuggeleijn, who struggled in a short spell of 2-0-18-0. That must mean Sears will replace Henry at the other end.
Carey is beaten outside off, inside-edges past leg stump for four and offers no stroke to a nipbacker that hits him in front of middle. New Zealand go up for LBW but Marais Erasmus isn’t interested. It was too high.
47th over: Australia 179-6 (Labuschagne 73, Carey 6) Labuschagne continues to walk at Henry, which ensures he’s outside the line when an off-cutter hits him on the pad. Henry is bowling beautifully; he needs support.
“Up until a couple of years ago, it was hard to see Matt Henry being a regular in the NZ Test lineup with Boult, Southee and Jamieson in position for the foreseeable future,” writes Charan. “But with Jamieson injured, Boult (effectively) retired from red ball cricket, and Southee out of form, Henry has really stepped up. Not to mention he has the most runs as well as wickets for NZ in this series!”
It’s a great point; he’s gone from spare part to attack leader in the space of, what, two years? His Test average never made sense because he always looked good in ODIs.
46th over: Australia 177-6 (Labuschagne 72, Carey 5) Another poor ball from Kuggeleijn is clipped to fine leg for four by Labuschagne, who has scored at an excellent rate without leaving his bubble. Block the good balls, hit the bad ones; next stop, rocket science.
Kuggeleijn hasn’t started well at all, and his second over ends with Carey cutting to third man for four.
45th over: Australia 166-6 (Labuschagne 66, Carey 0) For a long time Matt Henry’s Test average was a travesty, given his ability; now it’s down to an acceptable 32.70, and on current form it won’t be long before it’s in the twenties.
WICKET! Australia 166-6 (Marsh LBW b Henry 0)
He’s gone! Back-to-back five-fors for Matt Henry, and back-to-back ducks for Mitchell Marsh. He walked down the track and was beaten on the inside by a good delivery that came back off the seam. Southee was reluctant to review, spooked by that Labuschagne mess earlier in the day, but it hit Marsh in line and would have pinged the top of middle and leg.
It was similar to the Labuschagne fiasco earlier in the day – except Marsh was nowhere near as far down the pitch. It should be close.
New Zealand review for LBW against Marsh! Southee made the signal at the last second, conscious that this is New Zealand’s last review.
44th over: Australia 165-5 (Labuschagne 65, Marsh 0) A change of bowling, but it’s Scott Kuggeleijn rather than Ben Sears who replaces Southee. Perhaps New Zealand are fearful of Marsh’s record against proper pace bowling.
After a few decent balls, Kuggeleijn sends down a miserable delivery that is cut for four by Labuschagne. Those runs take Australia into the lead.
43rd over: Australia 158-5 (Labuschagne 59, Marsh 0) This is the partnership. If Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh are batting at lunch, New Zealand will need snookers.
“Nice to see you holding your hands up to shonking that lbw call earlier (tho’ you called it perfectly first time, thus proving that mature reflection and detailed analysis never beats the instinctive seat-of-the-pants call),” writes Robert Wilson. “It’s a shocking Kiwi record against their noisy neighbours, that. The Aussies are definitely in their heads. But then Aussies are always in everybody’s heads. It’s where they live. What would Shane Warne have been without it? They’re exactly like old-school movie vampires. Inviting them in is the fatal mistake.”
Matthew Engel wrote a majestic piece on this subject after Adelaide 2006, I’ll see if I can find it.
WICKET! Australia 158-5 (Lyon c Mitchell b Henry 20)
Matt Henry ends an irriating little cameo from Nathan Lyon. The ball after bringing up a rapid fifty partnership, Lyon edged a back-foot force straight to Mitchell at first slip. It was another good innings from Lyon, 20 from 27 balls. He’s loving his batting right now. The bowling isn’t exactly crushing his spirit either.
42nd over: Australia 154-4 (Labuschagne 58, Lyon 17) Southee might need to swallow his pride and bring on Ben Sears at this end. He hasn’t bowled badly, by any means, but his pace is in the 120s and Australia are starting to look ominously comfortable.
41st over: Australia 153-4 (Labuschagne 58, Lyon 16) Labuschagne rotates strike for the first time this morning, but Henry only gets one delivery at Lyon. Labuschagne steals a pair of twos on the leg side to keep the scoreboard moving. The fact he has returned to form by making tough, important runs will give him so much satisfaction.
“Just looking at that photo above the OBO and you can forget Lord’s, the MCG, the Modi Memorial park or wherever that’s grandiose,” says Geoff Wignall. “That’s a proper cricket ground, with space for spectators to stretch out.”
40th over: Australia 147-4 (Labuschagne 53, Lyon 15) Lyon drives Southee through extra cover for four more. These runs are really hurting New Zealand, especially as Lyon was dropped in the second over of the day. Southee continues to pitch the ball up and beats the outside edge a couple of times. Australia trail by 15.
39th over: Australia 143-4 (Labuschagne 53, Lyon 11) Labuschagne is walking so far down the pitch to Henry that the umpires are talking to him about intruding on the danger area. It’s all very civil. I’ve only seen that once before, with England’s Keaton Jennings against Pakistan (I think) in 2018.
When Henry goes searching for the first time, Labuschagne times a boundary through mid-on to bring up an excellent half-century from 90 balls. That’s a fine way to draw a line under a dreadful little spell of 11 runs in four innings.
38th over: Australia 139-4 (Labuschagne 49, Lyon 11) The New Zealand captain Tim Southee struggled yesterday but he should have taken his first wicket a moment ago. Nathan Lyon edged to first slip, where Daryl Mitchell spilled a two-handed chance above his head. For a quality fielder that was fairly straightforward.
Lyon gets two runs for that and then four when he slices the next ball through backward point. An irksome over for New Zealand ends with Lyon punching another boundary past extra cover. That’s a fine shot.
37th over: Australia 128-4 (Labuschagne 49, Lyon 1) Henry, knowing that Labuschagne wants to walk down and across, tries to bowl him behind his legs. Labuschagne is good enough to flick it crisply through square leg for four.
An eventful first over ends with a jaffa that snaps off the seam to beat the outside edge.
Labuschagne is not out! Scratch that, he was outside the line and more than three metres down the wicket. New Zealand lose a review – they have only one left – and I need new glasses.
Hang on, this looks out…
New Zealand review for LBW agianst Labuschagne! I reckon he’s just outside the line because he walked down the track to Henry. But it’s close.
Ding a ling a ling Dayle Hadlee, elder brother of Sir Richard, rings the bell for the start of play. Matt Henry has the ball.
“I’m a Labuschagne convert since I saw him on the Grade Cricketer podcast,” writes Laurence Boyd. “Hadn’t appreciated his personality really til then.”
He’s an eccentric nerd isn’t he? I ask that question with envy, lest it be miscontrued.
As does Matt Henry
It’s a good wicket. It’s my home ground so you won’t hear a bad word said. It does tend to flatten out to be a good surface. [Josh Hazlewood] bowled beautifully, he didn’t go searching for wickets. It was just a really tidy spell of bowling. That’s what pressure does in Test cricket, right? If you do that from both ends, somebody will get the rewards.
It’s a fine line. If you go searching [for a magic delivery] here you can get hurt with boundaries, because it’s a fast outfield and a true surface. You need to be patient and bring the stumps into play without going over the top.
It’s a big first hour. The key is to operate for the guy at the other end – I know that’s a cliche but against a good side like Australia you have to be patient.
Josh Hazlewood speaks before play
The ball was coming out quite nicely either side of lunch, my rhythm was good. In the first hour the wicket felt a bit soft and slow but then it got baked by the sun. It seemed to quicken up and we were able to get those nicks.
Anything back of a length stuck in the pitch and sat up, so it was about pushing the ball up a bit further and letting the wicket do the work.
Preamble
Hello, good morning and welcome to live coverage of the second and probably penultimate day in the second Test between New Zealand and Australia. It’s 30 years next week since Ken Rutherford calmly guided New Zealand to victory over Allan Border’s Australia in Auckland. That match is the last time the Aussies lost a Test or failed to win a series in New Zealand.
Thirty years! It’s a bewildering statistic, one that has perpetuated itself in the 21st century, and you don’t need Carel Struycken to tell you it appears to be happening again. Australia had the better of the first day, with Josh Hazlewood bowling majestically to nobble New Zealand for 162. If they see off the first spell from Matt Henry, who bowled beautifully last night, they should sit snugly in the box seat.
Australia will resume on 124 for four, a deficit of 38, with Marnus Labuschagne on 45 and Nathan Lyon on 1. Labuschagne’s return to something resembling form is very welcome, but the batter New Zealand really fear in this situation is the next man in, Mitchell Marsh. Two hours of his coruscating strokeplay could finish them off.