Vettori spins Kiwis onto the offensive

New Zealand are in position to make Australia fight for survival after Daniel Vettori starred in bowling the Aussies out for 351 on the third day of the third Test.

Shane Warne was last man out for 99 as Australia avoided the follow-on blues, but the hosts were still left firmly on the back foot after an inconsistent batting performance abetted by Vettori's 6/87. Needing 335 to make New Zealand bat again after starting the day 75/2, Australia faced the prospect of following on for the first time 1988/'89 when they were 192/6, before Warne's innings propelled them to temporary safety.

New Zealand are now likely to set a target before attempting to bowl their way to victory on the last day. If Australia lose, South Africa will be crowned the No. 1 team on the ICC world Test championship table.

At the start, Australia would ideally have been aiming to bat for two days, compile around 700, and attempt to bowl New Zealand out on the last day. Whatever the specific goals, they had a massive task ahead to either save or win the series.

New Zealand began competitively with the ball thanks to Chris Martin, who troubled Mark Waugh by nipping the ball into him from short of a length. Martin was unlucky not to have Waugh caught at slip early when he slashed at one too close to the body, the high edge flying to Fleming who jumped to get a hand to it but couldn't hold.

Langer, too, had a fortunate early reprieve from the bowling of Martin, something he has made a habit of in his last two centuries. Langer was on 36 when the Kiwis went up confidently for a catch down the leg side as he tried to work the ball to leg, the ball appearing to deflect from glove onto body, but umpire Hair ruled in the batsman's favour despite the double noise. For Langer, it was a positive omen.

New Zealand initially aimed to restrict Waugh's scoring, with Cairns going around the wicket to bowl at his body. Denied much freedom, Waugh even played one pull shot against Martin, a small victory for NZ since he almost never plays the stroke any more. Once that danger period at the start of his innings was survived, though, Waugh became a lot more comfortable and the shots started to flow.

Australia would have made it their session but for Daniel Vettori, who collected both Waughs in a beautiful spell. Mark Waugh had moved to 42 when he failed to get over a slashing cut to a wide ball from the spinner, top-edging a catch to Bond at backward point who did well to dive forward and to his left. With much batting to do, it was another wasted innings from Australia's perspective, leaving them 122/3.

With scores of 3 and 0 behind him, New Zealand were eager to apply as much pressure as they could to Steve Waugh. He was surrounded by two slips, a short leg and a silly point when facing Vettori, but appeared to get the better of that first battle when he crisply cut and drove two fours. They were to be his first and last scoring shots, as Vettori soon got Waugh playing forward defensively, the flight and turn inducing a thick edge for a catch behind and an immensely valuable wicket. Waugh, who usually thrives in such situations, was out for 8 with Australia 137/4 and almost 200 runs behind the follow-on target.

Vettori continued his good work, having Langer edge just short of slip, and was the difference between the two sides in the session. Australia's fate rested in the hands of the locals, going to lunch at 169/4 with Langer 63 and Martyn 15.

New Zealand lacked some focus after the resumption, as Vettori bowled poorly to Langer, allowing cheap singles to be turned behind square, and consistency continued to elude Chris Cairns. Seeking his fourth hundred in succession, Langer was marching towards that milestone on his home ground until his progress was halted on 75 when unfortunately caught behind down the leg side.

Cairns delivered a dreadful ball down leg that was almost too wide for Langer to hook, only managing to glove it on the way through to Parore. Langer was so disappointed that he walked, but would have wanted to turn around again after seeing on replay that Cairns had over-stepped the crease by a long way. One day, those rules will change.

191/5 became an even more perilous 192/6 after Gilchrist, so often the lower-order lynchpin to retrieve a listing innings, fell to Vettori without scoring. In the midst of a long and productive spell, Vettori turned one in to Gilchrist from a good length and got the inside edge from a forward defensive for a catch to short leg. It was the sort of pressure Australia had not been under since India, and certainly something they had not experienced at home for much longer than that, especially in Perth where some thought it would be the hosts crucifying the visitors on the hard and bouncy pitch.

From that point, the sole Australian objective became avoiding the follow-on and staving off potential embarrassment. After a couple of failures, Damien Martyn was back to something like his imperious Ashes form, his easy patience punctuated by classy off-side shots. He was joined by Warne, who put his head down but was still beaten a few times by Vettori, extracting considerable turn from a traditionally spinner-unfriendly pitch.

Relieving Vettori, Bond also went past Warne's edge several times, having him dropped by Astle at second slip when he was turned around so far that Astle may have lost sight of the ball. Made to scrap desperately, Martyn and Warne nevertheless fought on, added 59 for the eighth wicket to be 251/6 at tea. Martyn was 54 and Warne 28.

Cairns, brought back just prior to the 2nd new ball being taken, did not need the new rock to strike another blow. Martyn, meaning to hit the ball over the cordon, was well caught by Fleming at gully playing a square cut for 60, leaving Australia 270/7 and still 65 short of making the Black Caps bat again. It was like the two teams had reversed roles - instead of Australia making the running, it was New Zealand on the front foot and controlling the match.

Warne got to his fifty but was then dropped for the second time, slapping a hard caught and bowled chance back at Cairns. Warne rode his luck, and with Brett Lee profited against the hard ball used by Cairns and Bond, striking it around confidently as the Aussies got closer to the 335 mark.

Warne again should have been out at 328/7, aiming a drive at Bond that was nicked to Parore, but went undetected by the umpire. With the follow-on averted and Warne batting with increasing confidence, thoughts turned towards whether he might finally achieve his maiden Test hundred. He lost Lee along the way, caught just off the ground by McMillan at short cover driving Vettori. Lee was unsure whether it carried and waited for the third umpire's verdict, but even with replays inconclusive McMillan's word should have been good enough.

Bond returned for another shot at Warne and he responded to by arrowing a drive through cover. By this time the crowd were willing Warne on, chanting his name in anticipation of the century he covets. The dismissal of Gillespie just added to the drama, taken on the diving second attempt by Parore after Gillespie pushed forward for the edge, leaving Australia 9 down, Warne on 94, and McGrath to survive two deliveries from Vettori, who had just claimed his fifth wicket.

McGrath duly blocked both, allowing Warne to face Bond. He refused to take singles, pulling two, striking the ball to the deep fielders without running and heaving another 2 to third man before stealing a single off the last ball to face Vettori on 99. With two overs left, Warne blocked the first three balls but then couldn't resist, top-edging a slog-sweep to deep mid wicket that Richardson took running in, holing out one short of the milestone. The sense of disappointment was palpable, but not to Richardson, who bowed to the crowd.

Australia were all out for a respectable 351, still 183 behind New Zealand's 534/9, with Vettori finishing with excellent figures of 34.4-7-87-6.

New Zealand now have the task of batting for most of the fourth day before probably deciding on some sort of declaration scenario. Assuming they begin successfully, Stephen Fleming will have to balance setting Australia too generous a target between giving his bowlers enough time to achieve New Zealand's second series victory on Australian soil.

Scorecard:
New Zealand 1st innings | Australian 1st innings

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