Key events
Pundits are picking this as a batting day. The Hagley Oval wicket shows few signs of cracks and still has tinges of green. There’s a “wee nor’easter” sliding in but the skies are blue and cloudless. Mitch Marsh says its been a good cricket wicket for two days so far. “Who can break the game open for Australia? “Me, hopefully!”
As Josh Hazlewood marks out his run-up for the first over of the day, here’s another squiz at Marsh’s now-legendary Allan Border Medal speech…
Blue skies and light breezes here at Hagley Oval. Australia will come out swinging in a bid for early breakthroughs. New Zealand will look to knuckle down to survive this first session hoping to make hay later in the day. Batting conditions are improving by the hour so the Black Caps need to supercharge this slender 40-run lead to give Australia a chase big enough to get their nerves jangling and their mind playing tricks on them.
Merv Hughes – 212 wickets from 53 Tests – is at the ground today sporting his trademark handlebar moustache, now white as the froth of a 1989 Fosters Lager. Apparently he grew the mo on a backpacking odyssey around Australia as a young tearaway and hasn’t shaved it since. Here’s his hat-trick ball against the West Indies in 1988-89, complete with a trademark Swervin’ Mervyn send-off.
For those who came in late, here’s how Day 2 played out…
Preamble
Welcome to day three and a second Test on a knife’s edge.
After 14 wickets fell on a frenetic opening day, Day Two took a different path – surging then steadying before eventually settling into the slow, delicious simmer of classic Test cricket.
Thanks to Marnus Labuschagne (90) and tail-wagging from Nathan Lyon (20), Mitchell Starc (28) and Pat Cummins (23), Australia defied a seven wicket collapse after tea to build a 94-run first innings lead.
But, inspired by Matt Henry’s magnificent haul of 7-47 and Glenn Phillips’ flying catch to deny Labuschagne his 12th Test century, New Zealand dug in and duked their way to a position of power at stumps.
Kane Williamson and Tom Latham put on a partnership of 105 to wipe Australia’s lead and put the home side ahead. Some Pat Cummins magic got rid of Williamson for 51 but wicketkeeper Alex Carey undid the good work by dropping Latham late.
Latham resumes on 65 not out this morning with the dangerous Rachin Ravindra – fresh from his epic 240 against South Africa last month – unbeaten on 11. It puts New Zealand 40 runs ahead on 134-2 with eight wickets in hand and three days to play.
Can the Kiwis avenge their 172-run loss in Wellington last week? Is their first victory over Australia on home soil for 31 years slowly winking into existence? Or will normal service resume and see this all-conquering Australia side blast back into ascendancy?
Buckle ‘em up and batten ‘em down, folks – the first ball of Day 3 is nigh!