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Australia vs New Zealand: Starc, Cummins, Lyon lead Perth rout

Australia have beaten the Kiwis inside four days after the visiting batsmen put in another feeble performance | WATCH

Andrew Faulkner and Tom Crystal
Mitchell Starc is congratulated by teammates late on day four. Picture: AAP
Mitchell Starc is congratulated by teammates late on day four. Picture: AAP
11 min read
11:48PMDecember 15, 2019

Australia vs New Zealand, first Test, day 4 at Perth. Australia have won by 296 runs after dismissing New Zealand for 171 in their second innings.

Andrew Faulkner 11.30pm: Starc rewarded for pace blitz

Mitchell Starc has been named man of the match for his game haul of 9-97.

The honour was hard-earned and well-deserved given the performances of Marnus Labuschagne (143 and 50) and Tim Southee (9-162).

Starc’s the undisputed spearhead again, although Pat Cummins might be regarded as the leader of the attack.

The Australian team head off the field after their big win. Picture: Getty Images
The Australian team head off the field after their big win. Picture: Getty Images

“I’m really proud of our bowling attack,” captain Tim Paine said after play. “To take 20 wickets in 120 overs when you’re a seamer down is outstanding.

“I thought we batted really well in the first innings to set the game up.”

Nathan Lyon described the performance as “clinical” and it was certainly that and more, given the early loss of Josh Hazlewood.

Mitchell Starc, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and David Warner after the match. Picture: AAP
Mitchell Starc, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and David Warner after the match. Picture: AAP

Steve Smith’s five catches almost goes unnoticed, but his catching was as clinical as anything in this win.

There’s room for improvement given the patchy batting, and New Zealand, given more time to acclimatise, will be a tougher prospect in Melbourne.

Trent Boult will likely be fit and the pitch will likely to have less assistance than this sporting Perth track (kudos to curator Brett Sipthorpe).

Still, the win is another step to Australia rising from No 5 to No 2 in the ICC rankings this summer, which they will do if they win in Melbourne and Sydney.

Match blog below — how day four unfolded:

Andrew Faulkner 10.58pm: Aussies complete crushing win

Australia have won the first Test by 296 runs.

Tim Southee was the last man out, caught Smith, bowled Lyon, for four.

Lyon finished with 4-63, Starc 4-45 and Cummins 2-31.

Wagner’s stay was brief but he provided some quality entertainment in his five-ball score of eight.

Deploying a kind of look away swipe shot, the tailender somehow conjured a six over very fine third-man.

The ball was well caught in the crowd and the next ball – an edge – was well caught by Paine.

The injured Ferguson limped out to bat, but it was a forlorn hope.

Australia’s players celebrate victory. Picture: AAP
Australia’s players celebrate victory. Picture: AAP

Andrew Faulkner 10.35pm: Defeat looms for Kiwis

The end is nigh for New Zealand. Pat Cummins (2-30) has knocked over Santner for a duck, leaving the Kiwis with only two wickets in hand.

Watling was given out on review after Hot Spot showed the tiniest mark on his bottom glove.

The batsman’s gutsy rearguard – 40 from 106 balls with four fours – is over.

As will be the match tonight. The Kiwis have at least an hour to bat and only two wickets left.

Watling’s wicket gives Starc (3-33) eight for the match and if he can grab one or two more he might pip Labuschagne for the man of the match award.

The sun sets over Optus Stadium in Perth. Picture: Getty Images
The sun sets over Optus Stadium in Perth. Picture: Getty Images

Andrew Faulkner 10.25pm: WICKET!

Smith has reverted to the mean by taking a lovely catch to get de Grandhomme.

Cummins found immediate success after being reintroduced from the Justin Langer End.

De Grandhomme’s edge flew low – the ball’s getting softer by the minute – to Smith, who dived forward to take a fine catch.

Santner’s the new batsman, joining Watling (40 from 100 balls).

Andrew Faulkner 10.10pm: Smith lets one slip

Steve Smith has shown he is mortal after all by dropping a catch at slip. After shifting around the wicket, Lyon found Watling’s outside edge.

The ball flew so fine it almost brushed Paine’s gloves. Smith flung out his left hand but couldn’t hold the catch.

The around-the-wicket angle meant Smith was unsighted until after the ball brushed the bat.

Watling was on 30 at the time. He’s since gone to 37, while de Grandhomme is 32.

The pair has dug in to post a 50 partnership and give their side some hope of taking the Test into a fifth day. Deep in the final session the Kiwis are 5-148.

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9.55pm: Pacemen resting up

Nathan Lyon is bowling from one end, while part-timers Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne have operated from the other. There are 20 overs to be completed before stumps, and you’d think Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins are simply getting a breather before they go to work when the ball is at its most threatening.

Pat Cummins bowls to Henry Nicholls. Picture: Getty Images
Pat Cummins bowls to Henry Nicholls. Picture: Getty Images

Andrew Faulkner 9.45pm: A win for Watling

The not out call on BJ Watling’s caught behind has had a sequel. De Grandhomme was given out caught behind off Lyon’s bowling, the batsman’s immediate call for a review showed he missed it by some margin.

Perhaps the heat is getting to the players and the umpires in equal measure.

Speaking of which, it’s about to dip below 30C for one of the very few times in the match.

The Doctor is in, blowing smoke from a fire south of Perth across the stadium and making for a vivid sunset.

Andrew Faulkner 9.20pm: Aussies miss a wicket

The final session has started in dramatic fashion.

New batsman Colin de Grandhomme had a look at Lyon for precisely one ball before thumping the second down the ground for six.

Then Watling appeared to edge Lyon behind but umpire Dar was unmoved.

The Australians contemplated a review but decided not to – whereupon replays showed an apparent outside edge.

Paine’s habit of throwing the ball in the air might have hurt his side then. Because when he did so on this occasion, he might have been the boy crying wolf.

Fifteen minutes into the session the tourists are 5-117, with Watling 20 and de Grandhomme 12.

Andrew Faulkner 8.42pm: Tea breakthrough

The Australians have struck on the stroke of tea to get New Zealand’s last specialist batsman.

Henry Nicholls (21 from 54, one four) has fallen to a brilliant catch by Travis Head at bat-pad.

Although on this occasion it was pad-bat.

The ball rebounded off Nicholls’ pad to kiss the back of his bat on its way to Head, who clutched the ball millimetres from the turf.

Lyon now has 3-33 to continue his great form.

At the break the tourists are 5-98, with Watling not out on 20 (45 balls, three fours). The hosts need five wickets in the final session to win the Test inside four days.

Andrew Faulkner 8.10pm: House of Starc

Mitchell Starc’s resurgence is a story best told by the numbers.

Mitchell Starc bowls on day four. Picture: AAP
Mitchell Starc bowls on day four. Picture: AAP

In his past five Tests since (and including) the Canberra Test in February, he’s taken 35 wickets at 15.66.

His strike rate is falling by the day; at present it’s down to 48.3 – better than Lillee, Johnson, McGrath … better than any of the 10 above him on the Australian wicket-takers list.

He’s silenced those who said he should cede the new ball to Cummins. He’s led the attack with aplomb and helped Lyon by creating rough outside the right-handers’ off stump.

Getting Raval and Taylor means Australia will likely wrap this up in four days. Approaching tea, the tourists are 4-82, with Nicholls 11 and Watling 14.

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Andrew Faulkner 7.38pm: Lethal Lyon

Starc has done it again, getting the vital breakthrough just as Australia’s opponents appeared to be building a credible resistance.

Taylor (22 from 42, three fours) died by the sword, pulling hard at a shortish ball — though probably not short enough for the shot — to feather it through to Paine.

Latham was the next to go, foolishly playing back to Lyon. The lbw shout looked very good to everyone but Aleem Dar.

The review showed the ball hitting middle and leg and Latham was on his way for a two-ball duck.

Thatwicket was Lyon’s 374th, moving him ahead of Waqar Younis into 19th place on Test cricket’s wicket-takers list.

He’ll surely pass Malcolm Marshall (376) and Ian Botham (383) as well this summer.

7.28pm: WICKET!

And just like that, Ross Taylor’s innings ends after he gets a bottom edge on an attempted pull shot to a Mitchell Starc delivery. New Zealand are now 3-57.

Andrew Faulkner 7.10pm: Taylor tears in

Ross Taylor loves a counter-attack. As he was in the first innings, he’s been unafraid to take on the Australians today.

The match situation requires survival, not slog-sweeps. But that’s just what Taylor’s done to Lyon to plonk the spinner for four over mid-wicket – twice.

Taylor’s moved to 15 (24 balls, three fours) while Latham’s hanging on grimly at the other end (14 from 52 balls, one four).

The left-hander’s been beaten several times and has survived loud lbw shouts but he endures. And while he does, so do New Zealand.

Well into the second session the Kiwis are 2-45, needing another 423 runs to win the Test.

Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins and David Warner after an unsuccessful appeal against Tom Latham. Picture: Getty Images
Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins and David Warner after an unsuccessful appeal against Tom Latham. Picture: Getty Images

6.45pm: Second session begins

Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon get proceedings underway after the long break.This should be the easiest session in which to bat — with the ball softening and before the night-time adventures with the pink ball.

6.05pm: Lunch

Ross Taylor and Tom Latham survive without further damage. There’s turn in this pitch and the pink ball will swing later, so the prospects aren’t exactly bright for the visiting team.

5.50pm: WICKET!

Disaster for New Zealand as Kane Williamson gloves the first ball from Nathan Lyon to Matthew Wade at short leg. It puts the spinner on a hat-trick after his final wicket in the first innings. Ross Taylor survives the hat-trick ball but the Kiwis are 2-21.

Andrew Faulkner 5.45pm: Bounced out

The Australian bounce. It gets you every time. Starc found the shoulder of Raval’s bat and the ball ballooned to Lyon. The left-hander fell for just one, and the score was just six.

Williamson has burst out of the blocks to be 14 from five balls – four, four, two, dot, four – and Latham is six from 20.

Approaching lunch the Kiwis are 1-21.

5.35pm: WICKET!

Jeet Raval’s woes continue. The opener hasn’t passed 50 since scoring 132 against Bangladesh in February and he’s looked out of his depth here. He spoons a Mitchell Starc delivery off the shoulder of the bat straight to Nathan Lyon at point for an easy catch.

5.20pm: Defending early

Kiwi openers Tom Latham and Jeet Raval have been watchful as Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins steam in. They’re 0-5 after four overs on what looks like being a difficult afternoon for batting.

Andrew Faulkner 4.53pm: Australia declare

Mitchell Starc has played a handy late innings, not so much for the 23 runs he scored, but for the extra time he kept the Kiwis in the field.

Playing in typical style, Starc swung hard to hit four boundaries in his 21 balls in a useful last stand with Lyon (0 not out).

Starc fell in unusual fashion – top-edging a wild slash to be caught by Taylor at the finest of fly-slips.

The Australians then declared on 9-217. Apparently the injured Hazlewood was padded up, but Paine chose to declare when Starc was out.

Starc’s wicket gave Southee his fifth scalp – his 5-69 from 21.1 overs was an outstanding effort, as was Wagner’s 3-59 from 23.

After wearing so many balls on the body, Wade (17 from 52 balls, four fours) fell pulling a short one straight down Raval’s throat at deep square.

4.35pm: WICKET!

Matthew Wade smacks a pulls shot to Jeet Raval out in the deep at mid-wicket, giving Colin de Grandhomme his first wicket of the innings.

Andrew Faulkner 4.28pm: Glancing blow

Thirteen has proven unlucky for Cummins, who’s been dismissed in one of the game’s most unfortunate ways – caught behind leg-glancing.

He was looking in good touch too, until he got a fine edge to Wagner to give Watling an easy catch.

Cummins (13 from 32, with two fours) as good as walked, striding off as Nigel Llong raised his finger.

Starc has joined Wade, and the pair has edged the score to 7-188, with Wade 17 and Starc yet to score. The lead is 434.

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4.22pm: WICKET!

Neil Wagner has been right at the batsmen today, and he gets a faint nick from Pat Cummins (13) down the leg side as the tailender shuffles across his stumps. Wagner has his third wicket.

Andrew Faulkner 4.20pm: Wade in the firing line

Wade has been struck a brutal blow on his bottom hand as he continues to wear the ball on the body to take the Black Caps’ close fielders out of the game.

Wagner’s fourth ball of the day thudded into Wade’s left glove, sending him skipping away from the wicket while wringing his hand.

After a short delay, he resumed his vigil, taking the next delivery on his body in a deliberate tactic to counter the Kiwi short bowling.

Unsurprisingly, given his bat is almost superfluous out there, Wade hasn’t added top his overnight score of eight.

Cummins, however, has scooted to 13, hitting de Grandhomme for two fours in an over – a neat leg glance and a crunching cut.

After 20 minutes’ play it’s 6-179.

4.05pm: Visitors press for wickets

Colin de Grandhomme starts off day four as the Kiwis look to wrap up the innings and begin their run chase during daylight hours — before the pink ball starts misbehaving. Pat Cummins (3) and Matthew Wade (8) are relatively new to the crease.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson inspects the pitch on day four. Picture: AAP
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson inspects the pitch on day four. Picture: AAP

3.30pm: No respite for the fielders

Andrew Faulkner 3pm: Aussie veteran eyes recall

Peter Siddle is back in the Test frame as a replacement for Josh Hazlewood , who has been ruled out of the Boxing Day Test.

Justin Langer said today Hazlewood (hamstring) wouldn’t play in Melbourne but might play in Sydney.

Josh Hazlewood is consoled by Mitchell Starc after leaving the field on day two of the first Test. Picture: Getty
Josh Hazlewood is consoled by Mitchell Starc after leaving the field on day two of the first Test. Picture: Getty

James Pattinson is expected to replace Hazlewood but Langer said there was another option.

“The obvious one would be Peter Siddle actually,” Langer said this morning. “He did a really good job for us in the Ashes and he is bowling really well for Victoria.

“The Test is at the MCG where he has played a lot of cricket. We will see what happens for the rest of this game and then make a decision.”

`The rest of this game’ will have a bearing on selection for Melbourne.

Granted, the Boxing Day Test is 11 days away but Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins face a stern task bowling the Kiwis out on another 40C day.

It’s barely cooler tomorrow – the forecast is 35C – so Paine will turn to his part-timers to help share the heavy load lest he cook his thoroughbred quicks.

The Australians will resume on 6-167, with Wade eight and Cummins one. They lead by 417.

2.30pm: Kiwis rally late on day three

Australia are on top in the first Test but the Black Caps blankly refuse to lie down.

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

New Zealand's Neil Wagner leads the Kiwis off the field after day three. Picture: AP
New Zealand's Neil Wagner leads the Kiwis off the field after day three. Picture: AP

Gideon Haigh 2pm: Burns get to sleep more lightly

No run in cricket is irrelevant, but some are more relevant than others. The time Joe Burns spent over his first yesterday at Perth Stadium — twenty-five studious deliveries — bore out that a second innings of little general drama mattered in a particular sense very much.

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