Cameron Green Century Steers Australia To 279/9 In First New Zealand Test

Cameron Green slammed solely his second Test century Thursday to steer Australia to 279-9 at stumps on the opening day of the primary Test in Wellington. The guests had been tottering on 89-4 after being put into bat on the Basin Reserve earlier than Green dug in for a rescue mission with the assistance of Mitchell Marsh, who made 40. The 24-year-old introduced up three figures together with his sixteenth 4 within the last over to finish day one on 103 with Josh Hazlewood but to attain.

“Obviously it feels really good, mainly with where we were as a team,” Green mentioned.

“It was a pretty tough wicket out there … someone just needed to bat through so glad it was me. Was nice to stick it out there, and hopefully put a semi-competitive total on the board.”

Green, batting at quantity 4, fought again after New Zealand seamer Matt Henry took the important thing wickets of Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja and Marsh to finish with 4-43 on a inexperienced pitch.

Henry dismissed Smith for 31 earlier than lunch, bowled Khawaja for 33 after the break then snagged Marsh and Nathan Lyon, for 5.

Scott Kuggeleijn, restored to the aspect, additionally grabbed two wickets, eradicating out-of-form Marnus Labuschagne for one and Alex Carey for 10.

Black Caps rising star Will O’Rourke, who took 9 wickets on his debut this month, bagged two extra within the form of Travis Head (1) and Mitchell Starc (9).

Green mentioned the wicket would nonetheless supply loads for the Australian fast bowlers on Friday.

“It’s pretty close, I reckon they are just on top,” he mentioned. “They have a quality batting line-up and we have to bowl well tomorrow.”

Marsh and Green provided the resistance with a 67-run partnership off 77 balls.

But Marsh succumbed to Henry, caught behind by Tom Blundell, earlier than Carey meekly slapped a Kuggeleijn supply to Kane Williamson at cowl.

With stumps beckoning, New Zealand attacked Australia’s tail with Starc, Pat Cummins and Lyon dismissed within the house of 57 runs.

After profitable the toss, Tim Southee and New Zealand’s tempo bowlers had been pissed off by Smith and Khawaja as they placed on 61 earlier than Henry obtained the breakthrough.

Diving catch

Smith, promoted to open for the second Test in a row after the retirement of David Warner, lasted 71 deliveries, crunching 4 boundaries.

Henry induced him to play again to a supply that nipped and took the sting, with Blundell accumulating a pointy diving catch in entrance of first slip.

Labuschagne departed after a defensive knock, getting a thick outdoors edge to Daryl Mitchell at slip off Kuggeleijn, with Khawaja and Head following in fast succession.

Henry’s inswinger took out the stump of Khawaja earlier than Head went after O’Rourke’s however clipped the ball to Blundell.

Marsh crashed six fours and a six earlier than Henry struck once more straight after tea, with Australia’s Twenty20 skipper trying a pull shot that landed in Blundell’s gloves.

Carey departed for 10 to depart Australia on 176-6 earlier than O’Rourke had Starc caught at second slip.

Cummins was trapped lbw by spinner Rachin Ravindra with Henry taking his fourth when Lyon was additionally caught behind.

New Zealand are in search of a primary Test victory over Australia since 2011 and got here into the two-match collection on the again of a 2-0 sweep in opposition to South Africa this month.

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