Key events
21st over: Australia 71-3 (Khawaja 19, Green 5) Time for the spin of Glenn Phillips, he bustles to the crease and gets plenty into his action, there’s some turn off the wicket but he can’t quite get his line correct, Green and Khawaja pocket three singles and it is time for a big fat shot of Powerade. Other beverages are available. Australia lead by 275 and have only lost Nathan Lyon thus far this morning.
Runs scored in six most recent Test knocks:
110 – Pat Cummins
103 – Nathan Lyon
52 – Mitchell Starc
28 – Josh Hazlewood
22 – Marnus Labuschagne#NZvAUS— Nic Savage (@nic_savage1) March 1, 2024
20th over: Australia 68-3 (Khawaja 19, Green 5) O’Rourke starts with a maiden, full and in the channel outside off stump. Khawaja is happy to leave well alone.
19th over: Australia 68-3 (Khawaja 19, Green 5) Kuggeleijn is full and Khawaja drives for a couple back past the bowler. He seems to have cracked his bat in the process so there is a short delay whilst a new piece of willow is called for. Will O’Rourke is coming into the attack as the strains of The Verve’s ‘Lucky Man’ float around the Basin reserve. New Zealand need some fire in the hands here.
18th over: Australia 64-3 (Khawaja 16, Green 4) Henry raps Khawaja on the bottom hand, this pitch has still got plenty in it. Green uses his feet to come down the wicket to Henry but is then happy to let the ball go outside off stump. A full ball takes Green’s inside edge and Henry puts his arms to his head, that was out if Green missed it. Shot! Khawaja gets a half volley in the slot and doesn’t miss out, driving away in the gap for his first boundary.
17th over: Australia 58-3 (Khawaja 11, Green 3) Scott Kuggeleijn into the attack in place of Southee. Khawaja tickles a single to bring the in-form Green onto strike. The big fella stands tall and punches through cover to pick up three runs off his first ball. Kuggeleijn slings a coupe wide of the off stump that Khawaja pays no heed to.
WICKET! Lyon c Young b Henry 41 (Australia 53-3)
Henry nearly cleans up Lyon with one that moves back late but is then flicked away for four next ball as Lyon moves into the 40s. Lyon has the highest amount of runs for someone without a Test fifty in Test cricket… but he won’t get there today! Another clip is well clung onto by Young at short midwicket. An enterprising knock comes to an end, Cameron Green is the new man.
16th over: Australia 53-3 (Khawaja 9, Green)
15th over: Australia 47-2 (Khawaja 8, Lyon 36) Edge! Lyon gets away with one that flies in the gap between third slip and gully and finds the fence. And again – Lyon throws the bat at another length ball and this time the edge flies pas the right hand of Glenn Phillips in the gully. Three in a row, too wide from Southee and Lyon throws his hands at it, a big edge flies over point and away for another four! Lyon has never hit a Test fifty… a single sees him keep strike as Southee beats Khawaja with a beauty that zips outside off to finish the over.
14th over: Australia 34-2 (Khawaja 8, Lyon 24) Khawaja continues in his sedate but merry fashion, a single brings Lyon on strike and he pushes nicely down the ground to pick up three runs.
13th over: Australia 30-2 (Khawaja 7, Lyon 21) Lyon shakes his mitt a few times but is good to continue. Shot! Southee sends down another short one but Lyon is up to it and more – pulling away over midwicket for a one bounce four.
12th over: Australia 26-2 (Khawaja 7, Lyon 17) Good and aggressive move from New Zealand as the short leg is put in close under the lid and Henry is bowling short of a length into the ribs. Lyon will have a job to do in the final innings with the ball, not a bad shout to get him hopping about the crease and thinking about protecting those magical digits. Sure enough he takes a blow on the glove and it looks a painful one.
11th over: Australia 23-2 (Khawaja 7, Lyon 14) Lyon flashes hard outside off stump and the edge flies up and over the slips for four, he can be a very dangerous batter if he gets his eye in. A single dropped into the off side sees Lyon keep strike.
10th over: Australia 18-2 (Khawaja 7, Lyon 9) Matt Henry to start from t’other end. He’s full and at the pads, Khawaja jamming down just in time to keep the bowler out. Cable knit on for Khawaja, it looks like it could even be a two jumper day. Three left alone wide of off stump before a quick single dropped into the off side. Lyon has one ball to face and… he flicks off his hip for a single to keep strike.
9th over: Australia 16-2 (Khawaja 6, Lyon 8) Tim Southee gets day three underway, three slips and a gully in place. Usman Khawaja takes a single off his pads to get Australia ticking. Close! Lyon gets a meaty edge on a decent length ball but it lands in the gap and the batters scamper two runs.
Here come the players, a stiff Wellington breeze rippling the whites as they take to the field. Fingers crossed for some fireworks… Let’s play!
Marnus’ lean patch continues. A needless flick late in the day saw him caught by the keeper down the leg side, exactly the sort of dismissal that happens when you are going through a bad trot.
It looks a bit cloudy and breezy in Wellington this morning, Tim Southee and Matt Henry have a ball that is only eight overs old and bowled with great skill last evening. It’s a cliche but the first hour is huge, if Australia make it through unscathed it could effectively be curtains for the Kiwis.
New Zealand need to take early wickets, realistically they need to blitz through Australia’s batting card in the next couple of hours to leave themselves a target of around 350. That might give them an outside chance…
I’m nervous 😬 I just hope Tim Southee comes out strong and gets some early wickets!!! #NZvAUS
— Aaron 🇳🇿 🦍 (@BlizzardKing_) March 1, 2024
Cameron Green will have to wait his turn for the time being, Usman Khawaja and nightwatchman Nathan Lyon will resume at the crease this morning.
Whilst I make myself comfortable and settle my haunches into the well worn grooves of the OBO armchair, why not catch up on yesterday’s action?
Preamble
James Wallace
Hello and welcome to the day three OBO of New Zealand v Australia from the Basin Reserve in Wellington. Yesterday was a day to forget for the home side, after being skittled out cheaply for 179 runs they find themselves behind the 8 ball with plenty to do to get back in the match. A couple of quick wickets late last evening – Messrs Smith and Labuschagne back in the hutch cheaply – will have given them some hope but Pat Cummins’ men are ahead by a whopping 217 runs with eight wickets in hand.
Play begins at 11am local time, 9am AEDT, 10pm here in London. Jim here with the call, please do drop me an Email or tweet @Jimbo_Cricket. Let’s do this.
