NZ v Australia

A banner year

With figures of 4-83 in the first innings, Neil Wagner brought up 40 test wickets in 2019 – the fourth-most of any bowler. It has been a remarkable bounceback from his 2018 campaign – 14 wickets at 39.2 – and he became the first New Zealander to take 40 wickets in a calendar year since . . . Neil Wagner in 2016.

54

The number of deliveries bowled in first-class cricket by Tom Blundell before he was thrown the ball for three overs after lunch on day two. A desperation move by captain Kane Williamson, it drew memories of Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill bowling in the first innings against Australia in Perth in 2015.

Easy umpiring

There was remarkably little to do for umpires Marais Erasmus and Nigel Llong, and television umpire Aleem Dar, for the majority of the Australian batting innings. It took until the 148th over for a review to be requested by either of the teams, which doubled as the first major blunder of the test, as Wagner successfully overturned a rejected lbw appeal on Tim Paine. Another review quickly followed as Dar was woken from his slumber.

Rapid replacement

Australia’s bowlers had just 16 deliveries with the new ball before they had to go fetch a replacement, after a Mitchell Starc delivery flew off a length, past the gloves of wicketkeeper Paine, and to the boundary for four byes – where it smacked into the roving television camera. A new, similarly aged, ball was required, but there were no problems for the Australian bowlers, as Pat Cummins picked up their first wicket 18 balls later.