Aussies secure one nil lead
It took Australia longer than they expected, but Phillip Hughes’
final-day blast allowed them to finish off New Zealand and gain a 1-0
lead heading into the final Test in Hamilton on Saturday.
Brendon McCullum’s inspired 104 forced the visitors to chase 106, a
target they achieved without loss before lunch thanks to Hughes’
aggressive 86 off 75 balls.
After spending time in the field over four days, Ryan Harris, the
debutant, sealed a quick finish of New Zealand’s second innings, taking
4 for 77 as the hosts were dismissed for 407. Hughes, who grabbed 12
fours and a six, was then in a hurry to end the game and sped to the
10-wicket victory in 23 overs. It was left to Simon Katich, who played
the anchor with 18, to take the winning single on the final ball before
lunch.
The upbeat display will give Hughes confidence for the next Test he
plays, but he will probably have to wait as he is seat-warming for the
injured Shane Watson in this game.
Daniel Vettori came on and his first delivery was hit by Hughes
through cover for four and his fourth effort went for six to midwicket.
Hughes charged down the wicket, wasn’t put off by not being near the
pitch of the ball, and swiped it flat and so hard that it came back
damaged after hitting the bitumen in the car park.
Hughes had collected 10 from the opening over of the innings from
Chris Martin and added another 10 from Vettori’s first six offerings.
He followed that with a trio of boundaries off Martin - an on-drive,
a glide through the cordon and a straight drive - and was dropped at
second slip by Tim McIntosh off Brent Arnel.
The chance didn’t concern Hughes, who was playing his seventh Test,
and in the same over he brought up his half-century from 43 balls. Cut
boundaries continued to come easily in his best five-day performance
since his debut tour of South Africa last year.
New Zealand used up both their umpiring reviews in two overs early in
the innings, but neither Martin’s appeal against Hughes nor Arnel’s
shout against Katich were overturned by the third umpire.
Katich’s was closer, with the ball tracking showing it hitting the
top of the bails, but it was not decisive enough to change Asad Rauf’s
not-out call. Cricinfo
Australia
1st innings - 459
New Zealand
1st innings - 157
New Zealand
2nd innings
BJ Watling lbw b Bollinger 33
TG McIntosh c Katich b Hauritz 83
PJ Ingram c Haddin b Bollinger 1
LRPL Taylor lbw b Hauritz 25
MJ Guptill c North b Harris 6
DL Vettori b Hauritz 77
BB McCullum c Clarke b Harris 104
DR Tuffey not out 47
BJ Arnel lbw b Harris 3
CS Martin b Johnson 1
Extras (b 1, lb 14, w 1, nb 11) 27
TOTAL (all out) 407
FALL OF WICKETS:1-70 (Watling), 2-78 (Ingram), 3-115 (Taylor), 4-136 (Guptill),
5-183 (McIntosh), 6-309 (Vettori), 7-388 (McCullum), 8-392 (Southee), 9-396 (Arnel), 10-407 (Martin)
BOWLING: DE Bollinger (27 3 80 2 ), RJ Harris (24 3 77 4), MG Johnson (29.5 7 107 1 (1nb), M Hauritz (49 16 119 3) , MJ North (5 2 9 0)
Australia
2nd innings
(target: 106 runs)
PJ Hughes not out 86
SM Katich not out 18
Extras (nb 2) 2
TOTAL ( no loss) 106
BOWLING: CS Martin (6 0 43 0), BJ Arnel (10 2 31 0), DL Vettori (7 1 32 0) |
