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46th over: New Zealand 162-10 (Henry 28, Sears 0) Here’s young Ben Sears on debut. Probably didn’t expect to be batting in the second session but he gets to watch from the non-strikers end while Henry takes on Hazlewood who is hunting five. Has he got it? There’s an appeal from the bowler. Umpire didn’t budge but Cameron Green heard something and Golden Boy Green gets his way as Cummins calls in technology to adjudge. And he’s right. A faint edge gets the Bendemeer Bullet his five-for!
WICKET! Southee c Hazlewood b Cummins 26 (New Zealand 162-9)Cummins finally breaks that stubborn ninth-wicket partnership and snares his first scalp of the Test. Southee was riding his luck and he swung hard but it rushed in at 140kph and Josh Hazlewood judged the outfield catch beautofully, lunging forward to take it with both hands.
45th over: New Zealand 155-8 (Southee 26, Henry 28) Fast and full from Cummins. But again Henry works him away for a single with ease. A yorker – finally! But Southee digs it out and gets another run to bring up the 50 partnership. What a ripper it’s been too. Now Southee adds another three to the tally, whacking the Prince of Penrith (apologies Nathan Cleary) down the ground. It takes a good slide from Starc to save the boundary. Henry takes another single from the fifth but wants more from the sixth. He swings hard and catches a top edge. Hazlewood makes good ground to get under it. Out!
44th over: New Zealand 155-8 (Southee 21, Henry 27) The Southee-Henry partnership is now worth 43. Er, make that 47 as Josh Hazlewood gets carted by Henry down to the third man rope for four. Strewth! This is getting a mite embarassing for Australia. And yet Hazlewood responds with a bouncer. How about a slower ball, Hoff? A slider in the channel? An inswinging nipper? Hey, he’s only got 4-31…
43rd over: New Zealand 150-8 (Southee 21, Henry 22) Enough is enough, says Captain Pat. Starc slinks off to the boundary and the skipper charges in. But a change of bowler can’t bring a change of momentum as Southee leans into a short ball and dispatches it over the midwicket fence. Six! And a spectator in the deck chair has gone arse over elbow trying to take/ avoid the catch. Yeesh! Next ball Henry rides his luck even further, skying a catch which lands safely inside the ring. 150 up for the Black Caps!
42nd over: New Zealand 140-8 (Southee 12, Henry 21) Cam Green gets a chance to make amends for his 10-ball third over with another at Matt Henry. Nothing short this time but lovely shape as Henry drives at a straight one and almost edges. He steps back to heave the next delivery onto the onside so Green follows him down leg and Henry instead works it off his hip down to fine leg. Four! Australia going for plenty. Cue the conversation about how Cummins’ fast bowling cartel bowls to the tail.
41st over: New Zealand 136-8 (Southee 12, Henry 17) Starc pings in a wide one outside off first up and Southee climbs into it and takes two down the ground. A 141kph bumper aimed at the silver fern on his helmet puts the Black Caps skipper back in his place. Not for long though as Starc sprays another wide and short and Southee slashes it to the rope behind point. Shot! Here he goes again. Yet another stray delivery in the hot slot and the 100-Tester gives it the treatment. Another four and another 10 run over for the Kiwis. Big Tim batting with vim!
40th over: New Zealand 126-8 (Southee 2, Henry 17) With 1-7 from his two overs, the Green Machine is humming. There are high revs on the first delivery to Henry but it short and wide down legside. Second delivery is short and straight, sailing over Henry’s head. Finally we get a ball in the offstump channel and Henry flashes but flashes hard and it flies through the gap between second slip and gully for four. And again! Surely you put a third slip in now Pat? That’d be Green’s gully position were he not bowling. Sure enough Postman Pat gets the mail and brings in a third slip. Henry responds by edging wide of gully this time for two runs. Ten from the over!
39th over: New Zealand 116-8 (Southee 2, Henry 7) Strange end to the last over as Southee slashed at a short ball from Green and Carey co-erced his skipper to review. It was miles from the bat. Here’s the hat-trick ball from Starc…. fast, full, into the pads… but down legside. Ah well. After that anti-climax comes another as Henry punches big Mitch for four through covers to get off the mark. Strokes a handsome two past mid-on from the next delivery too, if you don’t mind. Then a single. Runs flowing for New Zealand! Unfortunately wickets are tumbling too. Southee slashes at the fifth, misses by a Christchurch mile. Another swing and a miss to the last.
James Wallace
38th over: New Zealand 109-8 (Henry 0, Southee 2) Tim Southee comes to the middle in his hundredth Test with his side in all sorts of strife. That flurry has finished me off, here’s Angus Fontaine to take you through the rest of the day. His first act will be to call Mitchell Starc’s attempt at a hat trick! Thanks for tuning in – goodbye!
WICKET! Blundell c Carey b Green (New Zealand 107-8)Another glove down the leg side is caught by Carey. Blundell has to go. It’s a Kiwi implosion at the Hagley Oval!
It was the end of the over. Breathe.
37th over: New Zealand 107-7 (Blundell 19, Henry)
WICKET! Kuggeleijn lbw b Starc 0 (New Zealand 107-7)Mitchell Starc is on a hat trick! He goes past Dennis Lillee with Test wicket number 356 and immediately chalks up number 357 by pinning Scott Kuggeleijn with a toe crushing yorker! Two in two and a chance at a Test hat trick incoming…
WICKET! Phillips c Carey b Starc 2 (107-6)Blundell square drives Starc for a couple and then climbs into a short ball but hits it straight to the fielder at midwicket. A yard either side was four. The single brings Glenn Phillips on strike. Gone! An attempted pull shot sees the all-rounder get a glove through to Alex Carey. New Zealand falling in a heap in Christchurch!
36th over: New Zealand 103-5 (Blundell 19, Phillips 1) Cameron Green is summoned into the attack. He had very little work to do in Wellington, with the ball in hand that is. Thwack! Blundell latches onto a short ball and plays a brilliant pull shot through square leg for four. The hundred comes up for New Zealand, the’ve got it all to do for the rest of the day.
35th over: New Zealand 98-5 (Blundell 15, Phillips 0) Close! New Zealand nearly lose another – Starc sprays one a bit wide of off stump and Blundell throws the kitchen sink, pipes and stop cock at it. The edge flies a yard short of the looming Cameron Green at point.
34th over: New Zealand 96-5 (Blundell 13, Phillips 0) New Zealand look a bit stunned. After winning the first hour obdurately they’ve surrendered the impetus to Australia. Yikes! Blundell nearly chops on to give Hazelwood five – that was far too close for comfort. A full ball is driven through point for a couple, New Zealand eke-ing their way to three figures.
They’re muttering under their breath, and at a fair distance from Sir Richard Hadlee, in the member’s area at Hagley about if Josh Hazlewood is the modern-day Richard Hadlee. They might have a point too #NZvAus
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) March 8, 2024 33rd over: New Zealand 89-5 (Blundell 6, Phillips 0) Blundell clips Cummins off his pads for a welcome boundary. Brief respite from the mire. A single brings Phillips on strike. Cummins spears one into his thigh and I think it missed the protection. Show no pain Glenn! He does though, grimacing at the end of the over.
32nd over: New Zealand 84-5 (Blundell 1, Phillips 0) New Zealand’s best player in Wellington last week arrives at the crease. Welcome Glenn Phillips. He takes guard in a Kane Williamson shaped hole in the middle. Hazlewood completes the over. To say he’s got his dander up would be an understatement.
WICKET! Williamson lbw b Hazlewood 17 (New Zealand 84-5)Blundell uses a delightfully retro old Kookaburra. It could be the Ridgeback or maybe even the Bubble. Childhood memories of Alec Stewart twirling away with that between deliveries in the 90s. Blundell gets a lesser spotted single to rotate the strike. Hold on… could be a HUGE wicket here! Hazelwood jags one back into Williamson and it pins the bearded one right in front. Umpire Nitin Menon raises the finger! Has he hit it? Williamson sends it upstairs but does not look confident. Sure enough there is no edge and four reds – OUT! Hazelwood snares Kane Williamson!
New Zealand’s Kane Williamson departs lbw to Josh Hazlewood on day one of the Second Test. Photograph: Kai Schwörer/Getty Images31st over: New Zealand 83-4 (Williamson 17, Blundell 0) Cummins is too short once again to Williamson. He’s too good a player to miss out when runs are few and far between. Cut for four. Cummins readjusts and sends down four dots at box height. Williamson plays late with soft hands to see out the over.
30th over: New Zealand 79-4 (Williamson 13, Blundell 0) Hazlewood has been sublime today. He has 3-18 from ten overs. I don’t think I can recall a bad ball (Unless I was distracted by my Walnut Whip binge…) Tom Blundell is the new batter. New Zealand need a partnership.
WICKET! Mitchell c Carey b Hazlewood 4 (New Zealand 79-4)Daryl Mitchell off the mark with a doozy. Hazlewood is driven on the up down the ground for four. What a response! Hazelwood brings his length back a touch and the ball climbs and moves away late on Mitchell who follows it and gets a thin edge through to Carey. Corker of a ball to get early in your innings, Mitchell knows as much, a rueful glance over to Williamson as he departs.
29th over: New Zealand 75-3 (Williamson 13, Mitchell 0) Cummins drops short and Williamson doesn’t miss out – a cut shot has enough legs on it to just beat a chasing Nathan Lyon to the boundary rope.
28th over: New Zealand 71-3 (Williamson 9, Mitchell 0) Hazlewood lands it on a pocket square outside off stump. Mitchell is up to it, positive in footwork and solid in defence. Another maiden. Frugal start to the session.
27th over: New Zealand 71-3 (Williamson 9, Mitchell 0) Cummins to start from the other end, bowling to Kane Williamson. Two titans of the modern game going head to head. A tussle ensues. Cummins is full and in the channel on off stump. Williamson is solid in defence. After six balls they call it a truce. A maiden.
26th over: New Zealand 71-3 (Williamson 9, Mitchell 0) Hazlewood to Mitchell, first ball of the session. Beats him with a beauty. Starting as he left off, just outside off stump with a hint of away movement.
Josh Hazelwood has four balls to finish in his over after snaffling Ravindra on the stroke of lunch. Let’s play!
Looks a beautiful day in Christchurch. Afternoon session about to begin. Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell will beat the crease for the Kiwis and they are going to have to have a scrap on.
Spectators in Christchurch are permitted to stand right on the edge of the wicket square during the lunch break and get a fantastic view of the pitch.
Junior cricket is also played on the outfield on most weekends.
They do things differently (better) in New Zealand!#NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/VkvWx9TfaH
— 🏏Flashscore Cricket Commentators (@FlashCric) March 8, 2024 I really enjoyed Tanya’s piece on day one in Dharamshala. You will too:
Lunch: New Zealand 71-3
Josh Hazlewood the pick of the bowlers, he has 2-14 off 7.2 overs. The visitors will enjoy their sustenance that bit more. New Zealand safely negotiated the first hour but as is often the case, the Aussie bowling line up found a way.
WICKET! Ravindra c Khawaja b Hazlewood 4 (New Zealand 71-3)Loosey Goosey! Ravindra falls in the final over of the session! A really loose drive to a wide and full Hazlewood delivery sees him nick to the safe hands of Khawaja at 1st slip. Ravindra is livid with himself, as well he might be. A poor shot. Australia follow him off the field – the final act of the session complete.
Australian fast-bowler Josh Hazlewood took two key wickets in the first session of the second Test. Photograph: Sanka Vidanagama/AFP/Getty Images25th over: New Zealand 71-2 (Williamson 9, Ravindra 4) A patient Williamson waits for Starc to stray too straight and picks him off the pads through midwicket for three. Ravindra gets a meaty edge wide of point and the batters scamper another three.
24th over: New Zealand 65-2 (Williamson 6, Ravindra 1) A nervous looking Ravindra gets off the mark with a flick off his pads to fine leg. Sun beating down in Christchurch now. Williamson hangs back in the crease and turns his wrists on a length ball into the on side. One more to the total.
23rd over: New Zealand 63-2 (Williamson 5, Ravindra 0) Williamson gets on the front foot and drives Starc away for a couple through the covers. Ten minutes or so til lunch, Australia will be very happy with their morning’s graft if they winkle another out before then.
22nd over: New Zealand 61-2 (Williamson 3, Ravindra 0) Gut punch for Tom Latham who looked so good this morning. Hazlewood got a ball to just straighten enough and it really was the thinnest scratch on the bat. Top bowling, Latham didn’t do much wrong. Rachin Ravindra is the new bat. He’s such an exciting talent. Don’t do that though! A flat footed waft outside off nearly sees him perish off Hazlewood’s final ball.
WICKET! Latham c Carey b Hazlewood 38 (New Zealand 61-2)Tiny feather of an edge through to Carey and Latham has to go!
Australia’s Josh Hazlewood wins the plaudits of his teammates after catching Tom Latham’s edge. Photograph: Kai Schwörer/Getty Images21st over: New Zealand 61-1 (Latham 38, Williamson 3) Shot! Tom Latham drives Starc away handsomely through the covers for four. That boundary takes Latham to sixth place on the all time Test run scorers list for New Zealand. The man at number one is stood at the non-strikers end. Four more! A thick but controlled edge from Latham runs away wide of gully.