Aussies have the edge
28 November, 2008

New Zealand's batsmen have frustrated Australia but the hosts still managed to take the honours on day one of the second 3 Mobile Test at Adelaide Oval.

At stumps the Blackcaps were 6-262, adding 2-66 to their tea time-score.

A dour but important 34-run, final-session partnership between Brendon McCullum (30) and Daniel Vettori (12) ensured the touring side has something to work with on Saturday.

McCullum smashed a six through cover early in his knock but played with more control as the afternoon progressed while Vettori started his innings in cautious fashion and took 17 minutes to get off the mark.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Vettori said a total of 350 would be the pass mark for his team. It means he and his deputy have plenty of work ahead of them if they are to achieve that target.

Meanwhile Australia knows it’s only a wicket away from bowling at a tail which produced just 30 runs in two innings at the Gabba.

Nathan Hauritz, who was brought into the side after Jason Krejza rolled his ankle on Wednesday during a training drill, had a rollercoaster ride of a day and took 2-63 while Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Symonds chipped in with a wicket each.

Johnson was the most effective quick, bowling with rhythm and finding the edge on several occasions.

The Kiwis got on the front foot by reaching 1-101 at lunch. But from that point wickets fell at regular intervals as a number of players threw away their wickets.

Aaron Redmond’s dismissal was the most disappointing. The opener bullied Hauritz in the first session and raced to 65 at lunch.

He continued his aggression and was steaming towards his maiden Test century before he attacked Hauritz one too many times.

The slog sweep, which saw him smash consecutive sixes off the spinner to bring up his half-century, was his downfall with Symonds catching him at deep midwicket. Before that error in judgement he hadn’t looked troubled by the Aussie attack.

He was eventually dismissed for 83 runs with 68 of his tally coming from boundaries and sixes.

Jamie How, Jesse Ryder and Peter Fulton also got themselves out after working hard to get a start.

It was a day of extremes for Hauritz who was smashed for 29 runs off three overs before lunch and then hit back with the wickets of Ryder and Redmond.

And he could have had a third scalp but Matthew Hayden dropped Peter Fulton at first slip early in his innings.

But just when he thought his luck had changed, the New South Wales player was injured as he tried to field a ball in the outfield.

He was helped off the ground and television coverage showed him in the change rooms with his ankle strapped. Ironically it was an ankle injury that kept Krejza out of the action in this Test.


New Zealand began the final session at 4-196 with Ross Taylor looking good on 40 runs. But he added only four more to his tally before he was adjudged lbw to a ball that hit him high up on the pad.

It was then 6-228 when Daniel Flynn was beaten by pace and bowled by a Lee delivery. His dismissal saw Vettori and McCullum join forces to steady the ship.

Earlier, New Zealand built momentum beautifully in the first session after its openers made a cautious start to the day.

It was a more even second session with the home side taking 3-95.

Australia’s players wore black armbands to recognise the lives lost in Mumbai and the death of former Australian cricketer Paul Hibbert.