Kiwis make a point in final session

Leading into a Test series seen unfairly but inevitably as a warm-up prior to the world title clash with South Africa, New Zealand’s chances of seriously competing with Australia had been widely dismissed, firstly because on paper they don’t match up to Australia’s powerful team and secondly, because of injury concerns over several key players.

What had been ignored is that despite the injury worries New Zealand are a well-organised and improving team who have a habit of playing their trans-Tasman rivals very tough. No matter what the statistics say, a series against Australia is the most important contest for New Zealand and the motivation of upending their invariably more highly fancied rivals is such that records become fairly inconsequential.

And, for the first Test, New Zealand had its first-choice XI available, arguably the strongest team they have fielded against Australia for sixteen years. They received nothing but pre-series respect from the Australian camp, although given the Australians had similar regard for England prior the Ashes, that had to be taken with a grain of salt.

In Cairns, Nash, O’Connor and Vettori, New Zealand went into the match with a respectable attack. Given the weakness of their top order – openers Richardson and Bell haven’t made any runs – and the ferocity of Australia’s bowling, winning the toss and bowling first was always the ideal option for the Kiwis. Despite a Gabba pitch not as typically well grassed as usual, that’s exactly what happened.

Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming knew that having bowled first, it was essential to capture at least two Australian wickets in the first session. The importance of wickets in the first hour thus made it doubly disappointing when, in the first over, Cairns trapped Langer plumb lbw with no score on the board, only for umpire Harper to say no.

Beaten and hit on the roll of the back pad, it was impossible to see how the ball was missing middle stump, yet New Zealand were denied. Langer’s large slice of fortune was to make his tenure only marginally better, as he scratched around and grimly clung to his wicket while struggling to hit the ball off the square.

Langer’s edginess was in stark contrast to opening partner Matt Hayden, who hit the ball well in a confident start. New Zealand opted to open with Nash alongside Cairns rather than swing bowler Shayne O’Connor, but with Nash spraying the ball too wide, O’Connor was soon introduced.

Cairns was still the only bowler to concern the openers, as O’Connor switched between delivering half-volleys or pitching short enough to be pulled. Having safely negotiated the first hour, Hayden took toll of O’ Connor’s inconsistent offerings, twice driving him thunderously down the ground then pulling him away for three consecutive fours that took him to an explosive half-century from 54 balls (9 x 4). That Australia had only scored 62 was a measure of his predominance, as Langer by contrast barely clung on.

Having been pounded for 28 off four overs, O’Connor was relieved by Daniel Vettori as Fleming sought to discover whether there was any early turn available. Australia’s batsmen apparently have a policy of attempting to destroy spinners as soon as they enter the attack, to prevent them from settling into any rhythm. It was attempted against Harbhajan Singh, Phil Tufnell and now Vettori, as Hayden leapt down the track to his first ball and lofted it over mid on for six in taking 14 from Vettori’s first over.

By losing no wickets in reaching 103 at lunch, Australia had ensured New Zealand lost any advantage by bowling first and were set up for a score of at least 450 against an underdone attack. Hayden had 71 and Langer, whose first well-timed shot took 90 minutes, a battling 26.

O’Connor bowled a more disciplined line and length post-lunch, helping to restrict Australia to 31 runs in the third hour without threatening to break through. Hayden remained confident and forceful while Langer was cautious, playing late and allowing the ball to come to him. To be critical, you could say New Zealand bowled too straight, as Langer was frequently allowed to turn the ball off his legs for singles.

At 0/125, New Zealand had its second genuine case for a wicket when Hayden, not allowed to play with quite so much freedom, mishit a drive to cover off O’Connor. Craig McMillan leapt to his left to snare the ball in his left hand for what would have been a spectacular catch but spilt it as he hit the ground, giving Hayden a life at 83.

Langer got to his fifty when Vettori came back as both batsmen settled in to pick off a weakening attack in the second hour of the session. With the tempo lifting again, Hayden reached his fourth Test hundred (138 balls, 15 x 4, 1 x 6) by lofting Vettori over mid off, a joyous moment for the Queenslander on his home ground. It was also just his second Test hundred in Australia.

Langer found his feet after passing 50, striking the ball with greater confidence, while Hayden continued to pick the gaps and leave astutely, frustrating Nash. At 199, the opening partnership broke the previous first-wicket record for Australia against New Zealand, 198 by Mark Taylor and Michael Slater in 1993/’94. After putting on 158 in their only other innings together, Australia appears to have found an effective opening combination. They enjoyed batting together, too, celebrating each partnership milestone with a grin and a handshake.

Nathan Astle had been introduced prior to tea to fulfil a restrictive role, tying down one end by bowling to a packed off side field to try to ‘strangle ’ a wicket. He continued in that fashion after tea, supporting Cairns as the latter worked on bowling bouncers. Eventually it succeeded, as another Cairns short ball over off stump had Hayden caught at deep mid-wicket off a top-edged hook for 136, breaking the partnership at 224.

What followed was completely unexpected and out of character. Having established a dominance over the bowling, Australia threw it all away with a remarkable last session collapse of 6/39, owing as much to complacency and lazy batting as Stephen Fleming’s clever strategy of employing Craig McMillan.

Chris Cairns was the catalyst, though. After getting away with an uncontrolled hook, Ricky Ponting played a strange half-hearted uppercut to a short and rising ball outside off, succeeding only in sending it high for Vettori to take the catch running back from gully.

After that double breakthrough Astle, still applying pressure at the other end as he did throughout his 16 overs, got through a nervy Mark Waugh’s defence as the batsman played across the line to fall plumb in front for a duck.

Cairns, the heart of the Black Caps’ bowling, then seemingly had Langer caught at gully before replays confirmed he had driven the ball straight into the ground. With the new ball coming up, Fleming had little choice but to rest Cairns, bringing another part-timer in McMillan on in his place. It would prove an inspired move.

McMillan, whose stock ball is the bouncer, installed a leg gully and a short leg to bowl at Steve Waugh, as the Kiwis turned the screws. The tactic paid off as Waugh, continually pushed onto the back foot and unwilling to hook, stayed back when McMillan pitched further up outside off, attempting to force a leg-cutter off the back foot to be caught behind for 3. Enticed into error, Australia were 4/256.

The complacent batting continued as Damien Martyn, star batsman in the Ashes, cut a wide and very short McMillan delivery straight to Vettori at point. There was an element of planning that shouldn’t be understated, as the field had changed to two gullies and a mid-wicket to account for Martyn’ s strengths, but it was still reckless batting by an Australian batsman with perhaps a bit too much pride to simply grind it out against New Zealand’s effective part-time bowling. Martyn made 4, and Australia were 5/260.

Langer - who meanwhile had reached his hundred, his second in as many Test innings – then gave his innings away at 104 in another reckless piece of batting, pulling an overjoyed McMillan straight to deep mid wicket. It capped a collapse of 6/39 that saw Australia tumble from a 500-is-a-certainty score of 0/224 to 263/6. The cheeky and aggressive McMillan, brought on primarily for a containing job, had 3/7 off 5 overs when the second new ball was taken.

Ironically, Australia suffered no further loss against the second new ball taken by Cairns and Nash, as Gilchrist and Warne set about consolidating and playing till stumps.

New Zealand’s best chance of further success came after McMillan was brought back, when Gilchrist top edged a streaky four and had a close lbw shout go in his favour.

After a bizarre series of scores that read 104, 136, 5, 0, 3 and 4, Australia’s score of 294/6 should at least serve as a wake up call to those prepared too dismiss New Zealand too lightly.

Scorecard: Australian 1st innings

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