Henry, Green share honours
The first test between the Black Caps and Australia at the Basin Reserve sits evenly poised at the end of day one.
But it could have been so much better for the home team, if only standout seamer Matt Henry had received a bit more support.
The right-armer took 4-43 off 20 overs and was by far the most consistent and the most threatening of the New Zealand quartet as Australia made it to 279-9 at stumps.
Will O’Rourke and Scott Kuggeleijn – both playing their second tests – took 2-59 off 20 and 2-56 off 17 respectively, but were a mixed bag when it came to accuracy.
There were times when O’Rourke looked a real handful, especially when he got his speed up over 140kph – something Kuggeleijn never did – but there were also times when his radar was well off, with a few nerves perhaps showing.
Captain Tim Southee finished the day wicketless, taking 0-68 off 20 as Australia rebounded from being 176-6 just after tea, largely thanks to an unbeaten 103 from all-rounder Cameron Green, who brought up his century in the final over of the day.
Play will resume today with the Black Caps needing to wrap the Australian innings up quickly before shifting into batting mode.
On a gloomy Wellington morning, the toss at 10.30am loomed as the first pivotal moment. Southee won it and chose to bowl, extending the Black Caps’ streak of doing so after winning the toss at home to a 23rd match.
That was almost the only thing that went right until just before lunch, when Henry had Steve Smith caught behind by Tom Blundell, diving in front of first slip, for 31 – the only wicket to fall in the opening session.
Smith’s first-wicket partnership with Usman Khawaja lasted 24.1 overs and was worth 61 runs. None of the 22 before it by a batting team sent in had lasted that long, while only one had been worth more runs – Bangladesh’s stand of 75 in Wellington in 2019.
That summed up the Black Caps’ position at the first break, with Australia 62-1. They hadn’t got the rewards they usually had in similar situations over the past decade or so, though they had at least kept things tight.
Marnus Labuschagne made his way to one off 26 balls before edging Kuggeleijn to Daryl Mitchell at second slip, with Henry – bowling Khawaja for 31 with an inswinger – and O’Rourke – getting a nervous Travis Head caught behind for one – making further inroads to leave Australia 89-4.
Mitch Marsh led Australia’s counter-attack, in conjunction with Green. After being 28-3 in the period between lunch and drinks, they were 58-0 in the 11.3 overs between drinks and tea, effectively cancelling out New Zealand’s good work.
Having done that, Marsh then threw his wicket away after tea, top-edging a pull off Henry and giving Blundell a simple catch as he departed for 40 off just 39 balls.
Kuggeleijn then got Alex Carey to hit the ball straight to Kane Williamson at cover on 10 off 20 and Australia were 176-6, with their bowlers exposed.
Mitchell Starc fell for nine off 33, caught by Tom Latham at second slip off O’Rourke, while Australian captain Pat Cummins coudn’t last until the new ball arrived after 80 overs, falling LBW to Ravindra for 16 off 24, two balls after hitting him for six in the 79th.
Southee would have had a wicket had Kane Williamson not dropped a one-handed chance off Nathan Lyon in the 81st over, but Henry accounted for him soon after.
It was probably still the Black Caps’ best first day in a test against Australia since Hamilton in March 2010, where they rolled their opponents for 231 then finished at 19-1.
It just could have been so much better.*