Almanac Cricket – NZ v Aust, Second Test, Day Three: Aotearoa Dispatches

Another beautiful morning in Christchurch to rise to was tempered by the fact we were looking at maybe a long day in the field and chasing a big total.

 

The night was spent looking for a local gig that never materialised so sampling some fine bars and trying to avoid the AFL’s bastardised insecure round zero out of principal would suffice.

 

We decided to take on the other end of the ground today where it had been more rowdy the day before to satisfy Pig’s blood lust for banter; finding kiwi fans too tame/nice when on top of the Aussies. His theory being they’ll never learn to defeat us if they don’t truly want to destroy us by all means. We certainly got the banter as the day progressed.

 

The first session saw Ravindra and Latham continue to belt us around the field as Starc and Hazelwood looked out of options. Green was introduced and also added nothing before captain Pat broke through with a fortuitous caught behind. The slightest of nicks picked up when sent upstairs. Finally some luck for Australia in this innings.

 

Mitchell joined Ravindra at the crease and didn’t play support role to his Wellington counterpart, he instead took to the Aussie attack up until lunch and most definitely won the session. At lunch an Australian supporter at his 200th Test was up on the screen receiving applause from the crowd. His favourite grounds? Cape Town and Adelaide.

 

We decided to inspect the pitch. A new ball track if ever there was. Corben Middlemas cornered the three of us for a Q and A regarding people on the field at lunch. It was better than being caught on camera eating lunch like the day before.

 

In the second session we patiently waited for the new ball giving Head and Marnus the chance to bowl some doorknobs. Finally we had a new ball to play with and tested the batsmen as they built on their partnership.

 

After a 100 plus stand Hazelwood broke through with a nick from Mitchell. Then Captain Pat had Ravindra in what was another huge part of the match. Again it was the first delivery in a new spell. Green had Blundell send a silly shot to Marnus to catch before Kuggeljien entered to the chargrin of the locals. Not a favourite when he is in ahead of Wagner.

 

A spilt catch by Marnus off Green was paid for with Kuggeljien going on the attack building the lead. An invaluable 44 to Kuggeljirn was tempered by the 4/62 that saw off New Zealand with a target of 279 f9r Australia. Not impossible.

 

During the middle session we saw that the security in Christchurch is maybe a bit more stuffed shirt than the free love Wellington. A group of two-dozen or so ‘Wallies’ (as in: Where’s Wally?) were surrounded by security after an f-bomb was uttered. The leader of the security on a power trip looked like a gangly Napoleon Dynamite/first year AFL ruck hybrid. The Wallies decided it was better to die on their feet rather than to live on their knees and chirped to the Australian players. They were eventually unfairly turfed out to a chrous of boos from the hill. Unnecessary overzealous security. Security claimed Nathan Lyon complained about the banter. A flimsy excuse at best.

 

At the break of innings we discussed with the Kiwis our fragile batting order. We were hoping for 0/100 at stumps much like we were hoping for a footy State of Origin to return. Zero chance. Smith again looked like he had no confidence in his abilities or knowledge where his off stump was.

 

Henry was as dangerous as ever and had the ridiculously shuffling Smidge out LBW. Smith, channelling his inner Shane Watson, went upstairs for the most hopeless of reasons. A few decent shots but a cameo effort at the crease again.

 

Here came Marnus. Could he be the difference again? His eccentric defending of his wicket made Smith’s form look like Alaistair Cook’s circa the Ashes in 2010-2011. The debutant Ben Sears was pitching fire at the other end and complemented the more senior quicks. Marnus clipped a catch to Mitchell who failed to hold on. We exhaled as the Kiwis played a collective game of ‘Simon Says’: “Hands on head”. Pig now had his banter from the Kiwis around us.

 

The wicket was coming though. It always was. Two balls later Marnus hit it straight back to Sears and he was gone. We seethed as the Kiwis celebrated up off their feet and smelling blood. We hoped for Ussie to be like an Easter Island statue up one end while Big Cam lashed out at the other.

 

Nope. Ussie edged Henry to Tim Southee, who held a stunning take low to his left in the slips sending the locals in to a savilating rapturous mess. Then Green chopped on to an on top Sears, who celebrated like he should. Officially in trouble.

 

Out came the Byson and boy did we not need a third duck in a row from the big man. Scoring runs off his first ball faced. From here under a fervour of clapping the bowlers in and extreme pressure Head and Marsh got us to stumps still needing over 200.

 

A ridiculously good day for the home side. Every wicket we got of theirs was earned, grounded out. Three of the four wickets in the second innings were piss poor at best. The rain won’t save us tomorrow. We have to save ourselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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