NZ vs AUS | Black Caps self-destruct with bat but two early Aussie scalps keep game alive on Day 2

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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New Zealand collapsed to 29/5 and eventually bundled out for 179 despite Glenn Phillips' heroic 71, while in pursuit of Australia's total of 383 courtesy of Cameron Green's 174*. However, Tim Southee scalped two early wickets in the second innings as the visitors ended the day with a lead of 217.

‌Brief score: AUS 13/2 (Lyon 6*, Khawaja 4*; Southee 4-2-5-2) & 383 (Green 174*, Hazlewood 22; Henry 30.1-11-70-5) lead NZ 179 (Phillips 71, Henry 42; Lyon 8.1-1-43-4) by 217 runs

‌Cameron Green and Josh Hazlewood ran the Black Caps amok through the first session on Day 2 to add 104 runs to Australia's overnight score of 279/9 and stretch their partnership to 116. The centurion hogged and manipulated strike like a seasoned veteran while muscling balls to and beyond the boundary with frightening ease en route to a maiden 150 in Test cricket. Hazlewood chipped in as well with four gorgeous boundaries before Matt Henry finally ended his 62-ball vigil to register a second Test fifer, with the scoreboard reading 383.

When the Kiwi openers eventually walked out to bat after the Lunch break, their stand lasted a meager 28 balls courtesy of Tom Latham chopping on a Mitchell Starc length delivery onto the stumps which set the stage for chaos to break loose. The ensuing batter Kane Williamson, enjoying a purple patch with seven tons in his last seven Tests, suffered a tragic collision with Young leading to a horrid run-out before Rachin Ravindra drove the Kookaburra straight into the hands of Nathan Lyon at point. The pair of ducks left the Black Caps reeling at 12/3 which soon became 29/5 when Daryl Mitchell and Young nicked behind on consecutive deliveries after grittily surviving a combined 87 deliveries. 

Glenn Phillips and Tom Blundell launched a spirited counterattack thereafter on either side of Tea to bring up the innings' first half-century stand, at better than run-a-ball. The momentum was gradually changing hands but just as the former got to his own fifty off 43 balls, laced with 10 boundaries, Blundell (33) and Scott Kuggeleijn fell prey to Lyon in the space of three deliveries to undo all the good work. Henry seemed to have taken notes from his counterpart's resilience with the bat and struck a few lusty blows while Phillips gunned along to 71 in a 48-run stand but the latter eventually fell victim to Hazlewood's short ball trap and holed out to deep square leg. Thereon, 161/8 took little time to become 179 all-out, thus handing the visitors a huge 204-run first-innings lead.

The Kangaroos opted to not enforce the follow-on and Tim Southee capitalized by dispatching both Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne for cheap in a lethal four-over spell. Nightwatchman Lyon, who seemed to have severely hurt his abdomen while batting, benefitted from a dropped sitter by Tim Southee on the last ball of the day to see his team safely through to stumps thereafter alongside Usman Khawaja.

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