Two in a row

By Aiden McLaughlin

The chatter before play started in Christchurch this morning was pretty standard; resuming at 132-4, a lead of 40, the cliches were appropriate. A massive first hour. A crucial first session. Some big partnerships needed. Latham has to bat deep.

There was a little bit of variation about what constituted a good target to set the Aussies in their second innings.

“It has to be 300+, this pitch will be best to bat on in the fourth innings.”

“I reckon 250 could be enough, they couldn’t chase 216 against the West Indies at the Gabba.”

Indeed, some astute Australian observers noted that for all the issues the home batting line-up have had in this series, the Australian batting line-up hasn’t fired on all cylinders for a while, even while picking up Test victories. In two home Tests against the West Indies earlier this year, they failed to reach 300. Although they eventually reached 383 in their first innings at the Basin, they were 267-9, and in their second innings, they were bowled out for 164. Here in Christchurch, they scored 256 first time around.

One thing everyone agreed on however, was that New Zealand needed a strong start. They hadn’t reached 200 in this series so far. If the same thing happened today, we’d probably all be heading home by teatime.

The Blackcaps started quickly, scoring 21 from the first five overs, sent down by Hazlewood and Cummins, but then the breakthrough. Cummins, off his own bowling, sent one upstairs, convinced he’d heard a nick that no-one else had. He was right; Latham had edged one to Carey and was out for 73, and the lead was only 61.

Daryl Mitchell arrived and there was still 24 overs before the second new ball was available for the Australians. With him and Ravindra comfortable to push the scoring rate along where possible, they were able to take advantage of an aging ball, and finally in this series the elusive 200 mark was reached in the 68th over, with the fifty partnership following shortly afterwards, off 79 balls, via a Mitchell boundary.

The pair pushed the score forward to 243-3 at lunch, a lead of 149. Upon the resumption, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne quickly ticked off the final two balls before the new ball could be taken. Labuschagne put aside the leg spin used at the start of his Test career to bowl three bouncers in his over, the last a no-ball, as he matched the New Zealand captain Tim Southee for pace with deliveries in the mid 120kms.

After that interlude, it was back to normal with Hazlewood and Starc taking the new ball. Mitchell and Ravindra were able to bring up their 100 partnership before Mitchell was next to go, having scored 58 before the combination of Hazlewood and Carey made it 278-4. Ravindra followed just eight runs later, Cummins again making use of the first ball of his new spell to have him caught behind. At five down, the lead stood at 192.

Blundell went tamely to a Cameron Green half tracker (again, the first ball of his spell) as the lead crept over 200, and when Scott Kuggeleijn edged Green to third slip while on one, it looked like another failure for him with the bat; but Mitch Marsh was off the field, with Labuschagne in his place, and the catch was dropped. It could end up being a crucial moment. Kuggeleijn went on to score 44 off 49 as the Blackcaps took a lead of 278.

With just under two hours to go, New Zealand will have hoped for at least two, preferably three wickets to take the ascendancy into the fourth day. They took firm control of this Test with four to the delight of Hagley Oval.

As we have become accustomed to, Southee and Henry took the new ball, with Henry ending up bowling nine overs in that opening/only spell. Unsurprisingly he was first to strike, Smith the victim, again out lbw. A review was in vain, the ball hitting middle stump. Smith’s tenure as Khawaja’s opener partner is already being questioned outside the Australian set-up as his runs are drying up.

When Sears came into the attack, there was almost a wicket with his second ball, with Labuschagne dropped at first slip by Mitchell. Thankfully, it wasn’t costly, as Sears himself took the catch to dismiss the Australian number three just two balls later, to make it 22-2.

Khawaja was next to depart, with the score on 30, as Southee took a great catch to his left at third slip. Again, it was Henry to produce the wicket-taking delivery.

Cameron Green, who swung the Test in Wellington in Australia’s favour, couldn’t hang around for long, clean bowled by the rampant Sears, for just five. Australia were in a huge hole at 34-4, 245 short of victory.

Marsh and Head managed to see things out until stumps, Australia closing at 76-4, needing another 203 tomorrow to clinch a 2-0 series victory. New Zealand need six more wickets and again, they will be looking to Henry and Sears for early breakthroughs.

Yesterday was New Zealand’s best day of this series. Today, they backed it up to make it two in a row. If they make it a hat-trick tomorrow, a Test victory that was hugely unlikely as recently as Friday afternoon will be their reward.

#Statchat

• Today was just the second time in the last 10 innings against Australia that New Zealand have reached 200
• Alex Carey is the second Australian wicketkeeper to take ten catches in a Test match against New Zealand. Adam Gilchrist also achieved this in Hamilton in 2000
• Since David Warner retired from Tests, Steve Smith’s scores as opener are 12, 11*, 6, 91*, 31, 0, 11, 9
• 285 is the highest fourth innings chase at Hagley Oval, achieved by New Zealand against Sri Lanka in 2023

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