Australia in control against New Zealand as Smith delivers highlight for ages

Australia took control against New Zealand after a spectacular catch from Steve Smith ripped the heart out of the Black Caps’ batting.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is dismissed by a spectacular catch from Steve Smith during day two of the first Test in Perth on Friday night. Picture: AAP

Australia took control of the first Test against New Zealand on Friday night after a spectacular catch from Steve Smith ripped the heart out of the Black Caps’ batting and sent their captain packing.

While the Test dragged on a bit in its early stages, the first hours of the New Zealand innings were action packed and a catch by Smith to dismiss Williamson from the bowling of Mitchell Starc was the show stopper.

Smith launched himself from second slip and was airborne reaching past the vacant third slip position when he intercepted the ball. It is a moment that will be played on highlight reels for many years to come and a catch that will rate among the best of its kind.

The game seemed headed for a quick conclusion when Starc sent Tom Latham (0) packing five balls into the innings and Josh Hazlewood bowled Jeet Raval (1) four balls into his first over.

With New Zealand 2-1 the home team’s 416 in the first innings was looking better by the minute.

BLOG: How day two unfolded

Ross Taylor defied the odds and is on 62 but Australia are firmly in the ascendancy in this match with New Zealand on 5-109 at stumps, and may even have the option to ask the Kiwis to follow on sometime on Saturday, but have never been less likely to enforce the option.

An injury to bowler Lockie Ferguson cost New Zealand dearly on the second day in Perth, but the sight of Hazlewood leaving the field after pulling up in just his second over may have be even more telling for the home side.

The visitors at least had the handy slow medium pace of Colin de Grandhomme to call on as they laboured through 147 overs in 40C heat. The sight of ex-wicket keeper Matthew Wade bowling the eighth over of the New Zealand innings spoke volumes of the position Tim Paine found himself in without one of his three seamers.

Wade has bowled two overs in his career. One when he took the gloves off in a game against Sri Lanka at Bellerive in 2012-13 and one at Edgbaston in this year’s Ashes.

He hits mid 130km/h and has natural shape with the ball, he even managed to beat the outside edge of Ross Taylor’s bat with his first delivery, but a bowler he is not. Thoughts now turn to the Boxing Day Test and who will take Hazlewood’s place should the injury prove to be as serious as it seems. Michael Neser and James Pattinson have been waiting in the wings for three matches.

The latter has the advantage of playing most of his first class games at the MCG and being preferred in the Ashes.

New Zealand will be banking on Trent Boult proving his fitness.

Ferguson has succumbed to a calf strain, Hazlewood left the ground to have a scan on his left hamstring.

Australia have the best part of two innings to get through with three recognised bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.

Williamson and Taylor faced a hostile over or two in a difficult half light before the scales of injustice were levelled.

And then, to make matters a little easier for the visitors, Australia did as Australia does and made a mess of the DRS again.

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Cummins beat Williamson with the last ball of the 10th over and while there was a smattering of half-hearted appeals the bowler didn’t seem that interested.

Steve Smith, however, seemed absolutely convinced but nobody was listening. Replays showed there was the faintest of edges.

The former captain has better ears than most, he proved that in the 2015 World Cup final when he was the only one who heard an edge from Ajinkya Rahane. That time Michael Clarke listened to Smith and went upstairs where the machinery concurred.

Another piece almost fell into place in Perth early on Friday, but Travis Head’s half-century against an undermanned and overworked Kiwi attack did not exactly provide the wholehearted statement of intent required at this level.

While the runs and time in the middle will boost his confidence and that of selectors, the manner of his dismissal indicates the South Australian skipper is still a work in progress.

Head did well to survive a difficult session against the new ball under lights on day one. Called upon when Wade shouldered arms to a clever Tim Southee inswinger, he played with sensible aggression and got to 20 at stumps from 34 balls.

It may seem petty to criticise when you have scored a half-century that helped your side into a strong position, but in cricket you rarely get an opportunity like the one handed him on the second day. New Zealand were a bowler down and wearing further down with every delivery bowled under the hot sun.

Head was the last recognised batsman at the crease and all he had to do was to wear them down further. The Kiwis, however, proved more patient than the No 6, who was out for 56 with the scoreline reading 6-325.

Williamson set a straight field, Southee pitched the ball out wide and invited him to drive hard and that was exactly what he did. In the air and straight to Mitchell Santner.

Former players criticised the South Australian for the loss of concentration. Michael Vaughan said on Fox Cricket he’d “missed an opportunity to really establish himself” and Ricky Ponting was of a similar mind on Channel 7.

“He’s got to eliminate those mistakes. They’ve got a straight catching cover, a very straight extra cover — that’s the exact dismissal they’re looking at.

“He can stand there and hit that as hard as he likes, he’s not going to get any runs for that actual shot. He’s not going to pierce that field,” the former skipper said.

“If he takes a bit off that hit and pushes it squarer out to deep point he gets a single and gets off strike without taking any risk. He’s just got to think it through a little bit more.”