Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Wellington, March 24: New Zealand, propelled by a pugnacious century from Chris Cairns, had Australia on the backfoot after a wildly fluctuating opening day8217;s play in the second cricket Test at the Basin Reserve, here on Friday.
The lusty hitting Cairns put on 72 runs in 54 minutes for the sixth-wicket with Astle and combined with Parore to add 109 runs for the seventh-wicket to turn around the New Zealand fortunes after express bowler Brett Lee had struck thrice.
He removed Astle when Mark Waugh made amends with a catch at slip and after the dismissal of Cairns by Colin Miller, Warne got the wickets of tailenders Vettori and Simon Doull.
The Kiwis tore into the Australian bowlers after lunch, with 92 runs flowing in the third hour as Cairns and Parore lashed out.
From 66 for five, the Kiwis did extraordinarily well to finish just a couple runs off 300.
SCOREBOARD
New Zealand 1st innings: M Horne c Warne b Lee 4, C Spearman c Gilchrist b Lee 4, M Sinclair lbw b Miller 4, S Fleming c Miller b Warne 16, N Astle c M Waugh b Warne 61, C McMillan c Gilchrist b Lee 1, C Cairns c Blewett b Miller 109, A Parore c Gilchrist b Blewett 46, D Vettori c Langer b Warne 27, S Doull c Slater b Warne 12, S O8217;Connor not out 2; Extras b1, lb8, nb3 12. Total all out in 80.5 overs 298
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-9, 3-18, 4-53, 5-66, 6-138, 7-247, 8-282, 9-287
Bowling: McGrath 17-4-60-0, Lee 17-2-49-3, Miller 20-2-78-2, Warne 14.5-1-68-4, Blewett 8-1-24-1, S Waugh 4-0-10-0
Australia 1st innings: M Slater batting 22, G Blewett c Astle b Doull 0, S Warne lbw b Vettori 7. Total for 2 wkts in 7 overs 29
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-29
Bowling: Cairns 3-0-14-0, Doull 3-1-12-1, Vettori 1-0-3-1
