Late bowling fireworks from NZ rock Australia’s run chase

CHRISTCHURCH: Australia were 202 runs from victory with six wickets in hand at the end of day three of the second test in Christchurch on Sunday after New Zealand grabbed the momentum with some late bowling fireworks.

Australia skipper Pat Cummins took 4-62 as the visitors, already 1-0 up in the two-match series after last week’s victory in Wellington, dismissed the Blacks Caps for 372 in their second innings after tea.

Home seamers Matt Henry and debutant Ben Sears, however, went to work in a thrilling final 90 minutes of play and took two wickets apiece to send back Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green cheaply.

The Australians still managed to score at a fair pace and will resume on Monday on 77-4 with Mitch Marsh, who was 27 not out, and Travis Head, unbeaten on 17, looking to cut deeper into their 279-run victory target.

Cummins was the first to strike in the morning, even if he needed a review to dislodge Latham caught behind for 73 with only 21 runs added to New Zealand’s overnight tally of 134-2.Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell then put on 123 for the fourth wicket before an outside edge off a Josh Hazlewood delivery did for the latter with 58 runs to his name with New Zealand’s lead at 184.

Cummins, as he had to dismiss dangerman Kane Williamson in the last hour on day two, struck with the first ball of his next spell to remove Ravindra for 82.Green then got in on the act with the first ball of his new spell by having Tom Blundell caught by Labuschagne at cover for nine to leave New Zealand on 296-6.

Phillips departed for 16, bowled by Nathan Lyon with the first ball of his new spell, but Kuggeleijn made 44 before the off spinner finally manage to winkle him out.The last three wickets fell for the addition of only one run, and New Zealand, chasing a first home win over the neighbours in 31 years, will perhaps rue not having set Australia a target in excess of 300 runs.

Australia won the toss

New Zealand 1st Innings 162

Australia 1st Innings 256

New Zealand 2nd Innings

Latham c Carey b Cummins 73

Young c Carey b Starc 1

Williamson b Cummins 51

Ravindra c Carey b Cummins 82

Mitchell c Carey b Hazlewood 58

Blundell c Labuschagne b Green 9

Phillips b Lyon 16

Kuggeleijn c Green b Lyon 44

Henry c Hazlewood b Lyon 16

Southee (c) c Carey b Cummins 0

Sears not out 0

Extras: (b 5, lb 9, nb 5, w 3) 22

Total: 108.2 Ov (RR: 3.43) 372

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-111, 3-155, 4-278, 5-286, 6-296, 7-349, 8-371, 9-372, 10-372

Bowling: Mitchell Starc 22-3-94-1, Josh Hazlewood 26-6-70-1, Pat Cummins 24-3-62-4, Cameron Green 11-2-48-1, Nathan Lyon 16.2-1-49-3, Mitchell Marsh 6-1-19-0, Travis Head 2-0-7-0, Marnus Labuschagne 1-0-9-0

Australia 2nd Innings

Smith lbw b Henry 9

Khawaja c Southee b Henry 11

Labuschagne c & b Sears 6

Green b Sears 5

Head not out 17

Marsh not out 27

Extras: (b 1, lb 1) 2

Total: 24 Ov (RR: 3.20) 77/4

Yet to bat: Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-22, 3-30, 4-34

Bowling: Tim Southee 7-1-12-0, Matt Henry 9-1-37-2, Ben Sears 6-1-22-2, Glenn Phillips 2-0-4-0

Umpires: Marais Erasmus, Nitin Menon