Australia vs New Zealand 1st Test Day 1: Marnus Labuschagne's top ton
The summer of Marnus Labuschagne continued at pace in Perth, with the Aussie No.3 notching a third consecutive century as New Zealand fought hard - but ultimately fell short on a gruelling opening day of the first Test.
Marnus Labuschagne broke new ground on Thursday night as one of the hungriest batsmen in the history of international cricket.
And you only had to check his bulging pockets to prove it.
The biggest batting revelation – and quirkiest character – since Steve Smith, Labuschagne once again outshone his mentor to score his third century in as many Tests and enter the record books as the fourth fastest Australian to 1000 Test runs.
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Run feasts don’t happen on an empty stomach and Labuschagne warmed up for Thursday night’s Kiwi banquet with another cured meat – teammate David Warner revealing that he keeps biltong to snack on in his pockets.
The South African-born Queenslander might still enjoy some comforts from the mother land, but out of nowhere – Australia is embracing him as one of its most prolific batsmen.
There’s not many batting records these days that don’t feature Smith, but Labuschagne’s latest hundred means the only Australians to make better starts to a Test career played more than half a century ago.
Australia didn’t have it all their own way on day one of the series with Warner (43) having his golden summer halted by an all-time catch, and Smith (43) falling to another uncharacteristic loose shot – both bludgeoned by the bowling of Black Caps workhorse, Neil Wagner.
The world No.2 Kiwis lived up to their tough and fighting reputation and never stopped coming, with Tim Southee taking out Matthew Wade's off-stump with a beautiful late-swinging delivery in the Perth night sky as the pink second new ball suddenly started hooping around corners in front of 19,081 fans.
But New Zealand were nursing the crushing blow that they have likely lost one of their fast bowling cartel for the match and the series – with debutant Lockie Ferguson breaking down with a calf strain midway through the second session.
Even without the loss of Ferguson, the Black Caps had run into the human brick wall that is Labuschagne (110 not out), and he and a twitchy Travis Head (20 no) escaped to stumps at 4-248 – and with the prospect of a softer and more docile pink ball to confront in the daylight of day two.
Thursday night’s magic innings under lights in Perth told the story of one of the most meteoric rises in the history of the sport.
Labuschagne, 25, made his first-class debut way back in 2014.
Yet of the 5000 first-class runs he brought up on his way to triple figures, more than half of them have come in this calendar year.
Forget Smith and Virat Kohli, in 2019 Labuschagne is the live leader and now overwhelming favourite to be crowned highest run-scorer for the year.
That’s incredible for a player who in three home Tests didn’t make a significant dent on the scoreboard until he was thrust back into the spotlight as a concussion sub for Smith at Lord’s in August.
Since Labuschagne was handed his Test debut in October last year, only New Zealander Tom Latham has scored more Test runs than the kid who is Queensland via Klerksdorp.
On the fastest to 1000 Test runs front, Labuschagne (18 innings) has emulated the feats of Doug Walters and Mark Taylor, and only Sir Donald Bradman (13), Neil Harvey (14) and Sid Barnes (17) achieved the feat in less innings.
Along with Labuschagne, the other run-scoring phenomenon of the summer was Warner – but his destructive ways were halted by one of the great Test match catches.
Warner had made 819 international runs in this is first Australian summer since the ball-tampering ban, and was powering through to yet another half century, when Wagner held onto a spectacular low catch off his own bowling.
The opener bunted a full-toss back to Wagner’s right and the blond-bomber got his body down low enough to grab hold of the pink ball just above the grass.
Remarkably, it was just the third time this international summer across Test and Twenty20 cricket that Warner has been dismissed, with Wagner’s moment of brilliance bringing his eye-watering average of 300 plus down to a measly 273.
Smith on the other hand made his third sub 50 score for the summer, when he fell into a brilliant trap set by Kiwi captain and master tactician Kane Williamson.
Wagner had bowled three bouncers to Smith in the previous over, before the fourth short-pitcher got Smith pulling to the purposefully placed fieldsman at backward square leg
Originally published as Australia vs New Zealand 1st Test Day 1: Marnus Labuschagne's top ton