Aussies stumble again
21 November, 2008

Simon Katich Australia rolled New Zealand for the cheap total of 156, but again failed to fire with the willow on day two of the 3 Mobile Test at the Gabba, reduced to 6-131 at stumps, with an overall lead of 189 runs.

11,886 fans were on hand to see an action packed, topsy-turvy day where ball well and truly dominated bat, with 16 wickets in total falling.

Mitchell Johnson (4-30) led from the front with the ball to bring about the Black Caps downfall and see Australia claim an unlikely first innings lead of 58 runs.

Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey then all fell in quick succession as the home side crashed to be 3-40, before Simon Katich (67 not out) notched a gutsy half-century as he rebuilt after the damage.

But Chris Martin (3-52) grabbed two late wickets in Andrew Symonds (20) and Shane Watson (five) to ensure the Black Caps would head into the third day with more than a fighting chance.

Brad Haddin (six not out) is the other unbeaten man for the home side after they lost six wickets in a turbulent final session.

Australia started their second innings in disastrous fashion when Hayden completed a Test to forget, falling for a golden duck when he copped a fantastic delivery from Martin first-up after the innings break.

Hayden was all at sea, edging a swinging ball that was short of a length straight to keeper Brendon McCullum.

Ponting (17) showed glimpses of his best but after surviving an lbw shout from Tim Southee, a mistimed pull shot was the end of the Australian captain in the ninth over.

Ponting attempted to heave a delivery from outside off stump but instead sent the ball skywards and straight to Aaron Redmond to hand Iain O'Brien his first wicket.

O'Brien had Hussey back in the stands for a duck four balls later, but in far more fortunate circumstances.

The Black Caps went up enthusiastically in an appeal for caught behind and umpire Rudi Koertzen gave Hussey his matching orders.

Replays indicated the ball missed the bat by some margin and instead shaved Hussey's pads.

Michael Clarke's time at the crease was then cut short by a skillful direct hit from Redmond at square leg that found him short of his ground.

Symonds initially steadied the ship in a determined 56-run partnership with Katich, before an ill-fated hook shot to a shorter ball gave the visitors a late boost before the end of play.

Earlier the Black Caps could only last a mere 50 overs, with Jesse Ryder (30), Ross Taylor (40) and Daniel Flynn (39 not out) the only batsmen to show any of the stubborn resistance required against an on-target Australian pace-attack.

Johnson cleaned up the visitors' bottom order and was on a hat-trick at one stage, with NZ No.11 Martin on strike.

Martin, who has a Test match average of 2.38 and 23 ducks to his name, managed to deny Johnson the personal honour, but the 28-year-old still finished with figures of 4-30 to be the pick of the Australian bowlers.

Brett Lee (2-38), Stuart Clark (2-46) and Shane Watson (2-35) all provided able support for Johnson.

New Zealand resumed the day at 0-7, but got off to the worst start possible when Redmond was dismissed by Clark with the first ball of the day.

Clark made a moving delivery jump at Redmond and the NZ opener failed to deal with it, awkwardly edging to Ponting who completed a diving catch at second slip.

Burly Ryder slammed five boundaries in his blusterous knock of 30 but came unstuck when he attempted a loose cut shot off Watson, with the edge being comfortably snaffled by Haddin after the keeper had earlier dropped Ryder on 11.

Australian then struck an all-important blow the very next over when Johnson brought about the end of danger-man McCullum (eight).

The hard-hitting NZ keeper gave Ponting his second catch for the match when he misjudged an angled ball from Johnson to see the Black Caps crash to 4-73 and hand the home side the ascendancy.

Taylor was defiant, and in impressive fashion, taking up the mantle of aggressor from Ryder he stroked seven boundaries in his knock of 40 that came off 51 balls.

But the end was nigh when Lee made the vital break through in the first over after lunch, trapping Taylor lbw with a ball that kept low.

Lee failed in his bid for an elusive 300th Test wicket as a tenacious Flynn denied the Australian attack in his four-hour long stay at the crease, but the wickets continued to tumble around him at a furious pace.

Black Caps skipper Daniel Vettori (two) went limply when he popped up a shorter ball from Johnson straight to Symonds at point.

Southee (zero) and O'Brien (one) also fell cheaply to Johnson before Clark wrapped up the New Zealand innings when he yorked Martin (one).