Phillips’ fillip masks bad day for NZ
Glenn Phillips did his best to smash the Black Caps awake as a nightmare unfolded at the Basin Reserve yesterday.
But in the end the all-rounder’s innings of 71 off 70 balls could only provide brief respite, as the home team crumbled to be 179 all out in reply to Australia’s 383.
Tim Southee continued the fightback with the ball, removing Steve Smith, for a three-ball duck, and Marnus Labuschagne, for three, but at stumps on day two, the visitors were still in front by 217 runs at 13-2, with Nathan Lyon dropped by Southee at second slip off the last ball from Matt Henry.
The first source of pain was Australia’s last pair of Cameron Green (174no) and Josh Hazlewood (22), who batted for more than two hours, adding 104 runs to their overnight total and setting a new record for a 10th-wicket partnership against New Zealand.
The second was the Black Caps’ collapse to 29-5 in 17.1 overs, which featured as its centrepiece a calamitous run out – the product of a needless call by Kane Williamson after a push to mid-off.
He collided with a ball-watching Will Young in the middle of the pitch, then had to swerve around bowler Mitchell Starc, which left him well short when Marnus Labuschagne collected the ball and threw down the bowler’s end stumps.
Williamson’s two-ball duck was followed by a three-ball duck from Rachin Ravindra, the heir apparent,, brought about when he hit Hazlewood to Lyon at point.
Tom Latham had already departed for five, bowled by Starc, while Daryl Mitchell (11) and Young (nine) were then caught behind by Alex Carey, off the respective bowling of Pat Cummins and Mitch Marsh.
At tea the Black Caps were 42-5 off 21 overs.
After it, Phillips and Tom Blundell mounted a counter-attack, putting together a partnership of 84 off only 87 balls.
Phillips was the main aggressor, hitting 13 fours in total, while Blundell found the boundary three times before he was caught at short leg by Travis Head off the bowling of Lyon for 33. The off-spinner than sent Scott Kuggeleijn packing for a second-ball duck.
Henry followed Phillips’ lead and then some, hitting three sixes before losing his senior partner when he top-edged a pull off Hazlewood to Starc.
He went on to hit another and make 42 off 34, to go with 5-70 with the ball – his first five-wicket haul in 10 matches.
Lyon had Southee caught by Head for one, then dismissed Henry as well to finish with 4-43.
At stumps, Australia had Usman Khawaja and nightwatcher Lyon at the crease, on five and six respectively.