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Australia vs New Zealand: Steve Smith slump continues as Aussies build lead in Perth

Australia have built a good lead against New Zealand in Perth but Steve Smith’s form slump continues | WATCH

Andrew Faulkner and Tom Crystal
Steve Smith falls for 16 late on day three. Picture: AAP
Steve Smith falls for 16 late on day three. Picture: AAP
11 min read
11:52PMDecember 14, 2019

Australia vs New Zealand, first Test, day 3 at Perth. Australia reached 6-176 at stumps, a lead of 417 after New Zealand made 166 in their first innings.

Andrew Faulkner 11.45pm: Kiwis show late fight

Stumps have been drawn with Australia well on top but with the Black Caps blankly refusing to lie down.

Everyone knows about the Kiwis’ spirit and toughness, but they’ve added another chapter to that proud story in this Test.

Tim Southee bowls Tim Paine for a duck. Picture: Getty Images
Tim Southee bowls Tim Paine for a duck. Picture: Getty Images

With the Australians coasting on 1-131, and after spending most of the Test sweltering in the field, the Kiwis fought back to take 5-29 tonight.

Granted, the strip’s starting to play a few tricks as it dries, and also granted, the tourists were poor with the bat.

But the way the Kiwis have persisted has been admirable.

And no-one’s been more admirable than Tim Southee, whose 4-63 from 19 overs gives him eight wickets for the match.

“We pride ourselves on being a bunch of scrappers,” Southee said after play. “We just get on with it and try to do a job for the team.”

On 6-167, with a lead of 417, Australia should win the Test, probably tomorrow.

But the Kiwi effort certainly hasn’t been for nought.

Match blog below – how day three unfolded:

11.32pm: Stumps

Matthew Wade (8) and Pat Cummins survive to the end of day three. Tim Southee finishes with 4-63 after a brilliant late burst. Australia have a good lead but the Kiwis showed a lot of spirit in the final session, picking up five wickets.

Andrew Faulkner 11.20pm: Wickets tumble

Tim Paine has been bowled for a second-ball duck to give Tim Southee a fourth wicket. The Australians are 6-160 — a lead of 410 — with 10 minutes to play tonight.

Earlier, Travis Head succumbed to an emerging weakness — the ball on his hip.

The Kiwis had been targeting his body, hoping for a catch at short-leg or leg-gully. Head (five from eight balls) was unable to resist, hitting the relentless Southee to de Grandhomme at a fine leg-gully.

It follows Head wafting lazily at Yasir Shah in Brisbane, with keeper Mohammad Rizwan taking the catch down the leg side.

The impressive Southee has 4-62 from 18 overs, making it eight for the match for him — so far.

Andrew Faulkner 11.05pm: WICKET!

Steve Smith has fallen for the same old trick again — pulling Wagner to be caught in the deep.

Three dismissals out of three Wagner has had Smith caught in the vicinity of square leg.

This time he hit it straight to Raval, who paused his banter with the crowd — they love him after he returned their beach ball — to take the catch.

Smith goes for a 28-ball 16 (three fours) to bring Head to the wicket.

The crowd number is in: 17,104.

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Andrew Faulkner 10.50pm: WICKET!

Joe Burns has been well caught in the gully by Henry Nicholls to give Southee a second wicket.

Burns’ 53 came from 123 balls and included six fours. He was downcast as he walked off, but his knock put the Test out of the Kiwis’ reach and shored up his own spot at the top of the order after failures in the first innings and in Adelaide.

Wade has joined Smith (14 from 22), who’s looking to get on with it. He’s even brought out his tennis shot swat down the ground, and was typically frustrated when he mistimed the unorthodox shot.

He had treatment on his right hand after being struck by a Southee short ball. Southee dug the next ball in again — which Smith pulled to the boundary, threading the packed on-side field.

At 3-148, the lead is out to 398.

Andrew Faulkner 10.30pm: WICKET!

Marnus Labuschagne is out but not before bringing up yet another 50.

Again, the pull shot gave the Kiwis a catch and this time they took it. Santner held the catch off Wagner to get Labuschagne for 50 (81 balls, three fours).

Smith has joined Burns and has opened in spectacular style, smashing Southee for consecutive fours — a tracer through the covers and an exocet down the ground.

With 30 minutes of scheduled play remaining, the Australians are 2-141, with Burns 52 and Smith nine.

Andrew Faulkner 9.50pm: Down goes Dar

The match has paused for another injury ... to umpire Aleem Dar.

The New Zealand and Australian medical staff have ministered to Dar after he collided with Santner at the bowler’s end.

Santner and Dar converged — the former backing up the ball, the latter retreating from it — and the umpire came off second best.

He had treatment on his left knee for several minutes — he looked in some pain — but has resumed his position, allowing the game to continue.

Dar in this match broke Steve Bucknor’s record of the most Tests officiated, with 129.

Umpire Aleem Dar receives attention. Picture: Getty Images
Umpire Aleem Dar receives attention. Picture: Getty Images

Andrew Faulkner 9.35pm: Slow burn for fielding team

The game has entered a sort of phony war stage as the Australians steadily build their lead against a tired and depleted attack.

The overworked Kiwi bowlers are struggling for penetration on a pitch that’s still true and a ball that’s getting soft.

With 90 minutes of scheduled play remaining, the hosts are 1-109, with Burns 46 and Labuschagne 35.

The lead is out to 359. It appears Paine will bat on tomorrow. He’s doing the Kiwis slowly, it seems.

Neil Wagner reacts after Joe Burns was dropped. Picture: Getty Images
Neil Wagner reacts after Joe Burns was dropped. Picture: Getty Images

Andrew Faulkner 8.50pm: Reviews blown

Joe Burns is looking confident on 32 (74 balls, five fours) and Labuschagne (18 from 29) appears set to make the most of his early life.

The Black Caps have expended both of their reviews; the second was frittered away on an lbw shout against Labuschagne that wasn’t even close to being worth a half shout or indeed a stifled appeal.

Perhaps the Kiwis’ judgment has been clouded by the heat.

8.42pm: Aussies in command at tea

Joe Burns is 32, while Marnus Labuschagne has 18 as Australia reach the break on 1-75. David Warner was the only wicket to fall in a session that yielded just 74 runs.

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Andrew Faulkner 8.25pm: Dropped!

Labuschagne has had an early life as the Kiwis battle to limit the Australian lead.

On four, Labuschagne tried to pull Wagner but the mis-hit lobbed high to deepish forward square leg.

De Grandhomme ran back from the ring and got two hands to the chance ... which he dropped.

But it’s a harsh critic who attacks someone who’s bowled more than 40 overs in this heat over the past three days.

At 1-61, the Australian lead is 311.

Colin de Grandhomme after dropping Marnus Labuschagne. Picture: AP
Colin de Grandhomme after dropping Marnus Labuschagne. Picture: AP

Andrew Faulkner 8.10pm: WICKET!

Warner has fallen to an ugly swipe at Southee that ended in the hands of sub fielder Tom Blundell at mid-on.

Warner tried to pull a ball that was too full for the stroke and his mistimed shot popped up to give Blundell a simple catch.

He goes for 19 (63 balls, three fours), with the score 44.

Burns (23) cracked the next ball of the innings, from Wagner, to the point rope.

Andrew Faulkner 7.45pm: Close call!

Warner has escaped a close shave after being called through for a sharp run by Burns.

Burns poked the ball to backward point, where Santner pounced and shied hard at the stumps.

Warner wasn’t close to being in the frame. In fact, he’d given up on making his ground.

Santner’s throw was close but not close enough.

At drinks in the second session the Australians are 0-30, with Warner 17 (52 balls, three fours) and Burns 10 (40 balls, one four).

The lead is now out to 280.

Warner is the third fastest Australian to 7000 Test runs as measured by Tests, statistician Ric Finlay says.

Smith took 70 Tests, Matthew Hayden 80, and Warner’s done it in his 82nd.

In terms of innings, the list reads Smith (126), Hayden (142), Ponting (145), Clarke (149), Greg Chappell and Warner (both 151).

Andrew Faulkner 7.20pm: Warner’s milestone moment

Warner has his 7000th Test run and Burns is off the mark – at last – as the openers edge the Australian lead towards 300.

Warner’s 7000th run came when he slashed Southee to the backward point boundary.

The Australian opener’s looking in good touch on the still-true pitch.

Conversely, Burns scored his first runs – a push for two through cover – from the 25th ball he faced.

Warner survived a DRS challenge for caught in the slips. Replays showed the ball came off his shoulder, not his gloves.

After 10 overs the Australians are 0-20, with Warner 15 and Burns three.

David Warner with umpire Nigel Llong. Picture: AP
David Warner with umpire Nigel Llong. Picture: AP

Andrew Faulkner 6.50pm: When will Australia declare?

All the chatter over lunch has centred on the match situation.

With a lead of 250, and with two days and two sessions left in the match, there’s no pressing need for the Australians to declare tonight.

But Paine will be tempted to plonk the Kiwis in when the ball comes alive at dusk.

Balancing that is his depleted attack – and the heat.

So the more likely scenario is they’ll bat for a day and give themselves four sessions-plus to bowl the Kiwis out.

A wristband on the bowling arm of Mitchell Starc. Picture: AAP
A wristband on the bowling arm of Mitchell Starc. Picture: AAP

6.40pm: Session two begins

Colin de Grandhomme starts off after lunch, sharing new-ball duties with Tim Southee. It’s a different game with these bowlers hovering around the 130km/h mark, about 15km/h slower than the Cummins and Starc deliveries.

Andrew Faulkner 6.05pm: Lunch

The Australian openers have survived their single over before lunch to go to the break 0-1.

David Warner and Joe Burns inspect cracks in the pitch on day three. Picture: Getty Images
David Warner and Joe Burns inspect cracks in the pitch on day three. Picture: Getty Images

Andrew Faulkner 5.50pm: ALL OUT!

The Black Caps have been bowled out for 166 just 12 minutes before lunch. Starc finished with 5-52 to stand tall in the absence of the injured Hazlewood.

Tim Southee was the last to fall, skying a catch to substitute fielder Michael Neser at backward point to give Lyon a second wicket.

Labuschagne knocked over Santner (two from 19 balls) with a beautiful and classic piece of leg-spin bowling.

The left-handed batsman went to drive through the covers only to be bowled when the ball ripped back through the gate.

Andrew Faulkner 5.38pm: DRS drama alive and well

The unfortunate Black Caps have been on the wrong side of a DRS injustice that’s cost de Grandhomme his wicket.

It’s not a proper Test until there’s a DRS controversy, and this Test’s turn came well into the first session on day three.

De Grandhomme was caught by Smith at second slip after the batsman appeared to glove a searing Starc bouncer.

After a long deliberation – and with Starc pleading and pleading, arms outstretched – Aleem Dar raised his finger.

De Grandhomme appealed to the higher court, which, to the amazement of many, confirmed Dar’s decision.

The technology showed the ball definitely hit de Grandhomme’s helmet, but was inconclusive about whether it also touched his glove.

But under the DRS rules, the third umpire needs “conclusive evidence” to overturn the on-field umpire’s decision. And Marias Erasmus, quite reasonably, decided there was no such evidence.

De Grandhomme was looking good too — his 23 came at better a run-a-ball and included three fours.

Thirty minutes before the long break, the Kiwis are 8-165, with Santner seven and Southee two.

5.15pm: WICKET!

A brute of a ball from Mitchell Starc takes a deflection off Colin de Grandhomme and flies to slips, where Steve Smith moves to his left to snare a good catch. Umpire Aleem Dar gives the batsman out but de Grandhomme calls a review. Snicko shows — perhaps — the faintest brush of the glove and then a ricochet off the helmet. There’s not enough evidence to overrule the on-field decision but that could have gone the batsman’s way. Tough call.

Andrew Faulkner 5.10pm: Lyon pounces

Lyon has bowled a superb over to confound and ultimately defeat Taylor.

After five probing balls all in the vicinity of off stump – but all slightly different – the sixth found Taylor’s edge on its way to Smith at slip.

Taylor’s aggressive and entertaining hand ends on 80 (134 balls, nine fours) to leave New Zealander foundering on 7-147.

De Grandhomme is 16 and the new batsman is Santner.

Paine’s closing in for the kill now – Starc’s back into the attack, replacing Labuschagne at the Members End.

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5.02pm: WICKET!

Nathan Lyon removes Ross Taylor for 80 after troubling the right-hander repeatedly with a line just outside the off stump. Taylor edges one to Steve Smith at first slip, leaving the Kiwis on 7-147 at the drinks break.

Andrew Faulkner 4.45pm: Pace aces Watling

Pat Cummins has opened his account with Watling’s scalp. The Kiwi keeper chopped on after seemingly being caught in two minds by a good-length ball.

It was a typical Cummins wicket – a fast, heavy ball rocketing at the top of off stump.

The breakthrough was a huge relief for Paine, Lyon and Labuschagne after they combined to give Watling a life a few overs earlier.

The Black Caps are 6-136, with Taylor 76 and de Grandhomme eight.

Labuschagne has replaced Starc at the Members End.

Tim Paine misses a run-out opportunity as BJ Watling scrambles back into his crease. Picture: Getty Images
Tim Paine misses a run-out opportunity as BJ Watling scrambles back into his crease. Picture: Getty Images

4.27pm: WICKET!

BJ Watling fails to cash in on his reprieve, chopping one on from Pat Cummins for 8 to hand Australia an early breakthrough. The Kiwis are now 6-120.

Andrew Faulkner 4.20pm: Aussies bungle a sitter

The Australians have fluffed a straightforward run-out chance to give BJ Watling a life in the third over.

Ross Taylor and Watling had a dreadful mix-up when deciding to come back for a tight two.

Watling was stranded mid-pitch, leaving Lyon with a regulation throw to the keeper to complete the run-out.

The throw was poor – landing well short of Paine – who had to run around Labuschagne to get to the ball.

Paine failed to glove the awkward throw and Watling scrambled back to his ground.

After 20 minutes play the score has moved to 5-116, with Taylor 67 and Watling six.

4pm: Play is underway

Mitchell Starc starts off and BJ Watling gets off the mark on the second ball of the day, the 10th of his innings. Ross Taylor, on 66, is the key for the visitors.

Australian coach Justin Langer speaks with an umpire as Nathan Lyon inspects the pitch prior to play on day three. Picture: AAP
Australian coach Justin Langer speaks with an umpire as Nathan Lyon inspects the pitch prior to play on day three. Picture: AAP

Andrew Faulkner 3.30pm: Respite for the fielders?

It’s hit 40C an hour before play but the good news is the wind has swung to the southwest so the mercury might not climb much higher.

Small mercies for an Australian attack down a man and confronted with the challenge of prising out Ross Taylor (66 not out from 86 balls, with eight fours).

But the Australians have the carrot of retiring to the dressing room’s airconditioned comfort when they bowl New Zealand (5-109) out.

For surely they won’t enforce the follow-on, should it be available, given their depleted attack.

Josh Hazlewood ’s hamstring strain was confirmed overnight and there are fears he won’t play in Melbourne and Sydney.

How two sides will tailor their strategies given they’re both down a bowler – in heat that will last the entirety of the match – will be fascinating.

3pm: Smith delivers highlight for the ages

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.

Gideon Haigh 2pm: Kiwis suffer dread of twilight zone

Night shifts are historically tough, lonely work, the realm of cleaners, caregivers and cops. Batsmen are starting to feel about them similarly.

In Adelaide, it was Pakistan who were subjected to pink ambush beneath the lights. On Friday night in Perth it was New Zealand who succumbed to a trap obviously but sedulously laid.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/cricket/australia-vs-new-zealand-cricket-live-first-test-day-3-from-pert/news-story/16f9ff1494ca94aec97065dcfb1a456f