Kiwis set stage for improbable victory

He was ably supported by allrounder Chris Cairns, who was unbeaten on 20 and whose big-hitting could prove decisive on Tuesday. It was a day for records with Daniel Vettori finishing with career-best bowling figures of 7-87 in Australia’s second innings of 229 all out for match analysis of 12-149, the best by a New Zealander in a Test at the Eden Park.

The 21-year-old left-armer also became the youngest spinner in Test history to take a century of wickets.

Shane Warne, the greatest leg-spinner of his time, equalled Dennis Lillee’s Australian record 355 Test wickets when he bowled Nathan Astle around his pads with one of his trademark leg breaks to end the biggest partnership of the match of 78 with McMillan.

Warne went for 31 runs off his first five overs, but cameback decisively in his second spell to find his length and end what was shaping as a dangerous partnership for Australia.

It was not Warne, but off-spinner Colin Miller who put the Kiwis under the skids early in their second essay when he removed Matthew Horne (11), Mathew Sinclair (6) and captain Stephen Fleming (8) with a magnificent delivery. Fleming could not get his bat out of the way of the unplayable delivery from Miller with wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist taking an instinctive catch.

Astle (35) and McMillan turned the tide and just when the Kiwis were thinking of an improbable victory, Warne removed Astle with another of his specials.

McMillan and Cairns resume on Tuesday morning with the prospect of edging their team closer to the target if they can prolong their 30-run partnership against the best bowling attack in world cricket.

But it was a day to savour for Vettori, who at 21 years and 46 days beat Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq (22 years and 324 days) to become the youngest spinner to achieve 100 Test wickets.

Relishing the turning Eden Park pitch, Vettori’s match performance was second only to Richard Hadlee’s 15-123 in Brisbane in 1985-86 as the best Test match figures by a New Zealander.

Gilchrist scored his fourth Test half-century and he hit six boundaries and a six off 87 balls in Australia’s second innings of 229 to force New Zealand to score the highest innings of the low-scoring Test to win the match.

Australia have not beaten New Zealand in their last three Tests at Eden Park with their last win coming here in 1977.

Gilchrist, averaging almost 70 in Tests, took the attack to the Kiwi bowlers by sweeping and cutting with the spin and minimising his shot-making risks as Fleming struggled to keep the scoring in check and preserve New Zealand’s chances of winning.

Scoreboard

Australia (1st innings): 214
New Zealand (1st innings): 163

Australia (2nd innings; overnight 114-5): M Slater c Horne b Cairns 6, GS Blewett c Spearman b Vettori 8, JL Langer c Astle b Vettori 47, ME Waugh c Parore b Vettori 25, SR Waugh c&b Wiseman 10, DR Martyn b Vettori 36, AC Gilchrist c Fleming b Vettori 59, SK Warne c Wiseman b Vettori 12, B Lee batting 6, CR Miller st Parore b Vettori 8, GD McGrath lbw b Wiseman 1. Extras: (b7, lb4) 11. Total: (all out in 76.5 overs) 229
Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-46, 3-67, 4-81, 5-107, 6-174,7-202, 8-214, 9-226

Bowling: Cairns 4-1-13-1, Wiseman 32.5-6-110-2, Vettori 35-11-87-7, Doull 5-1-8-0

New Zealand (2nd innings): M Horne c Langer b Miller 11, C Spearman lbw b McGrath 4, M Sinclair lbw b Miller 6, S Fleming c Gilchrist b Miller 8, N Astle b Warne 35, C McMillan batting 57, C Cairns batting 20. Extras: (b7, lb2, nb1) 10. Total: (for 5 wkts in 48 overs) 151
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-25, 3-25, 4-43, 5-121

Bowling: McGrath 15-5-28-1, Lee 7-2-28-0, Miller 13-2-36-3, Warne 13-3-50-1.