Australia v New Zealand – Gabba Test, Day 2: Australians on the attack

Day 2 BRISBANE – AUSTRALIA ATTACK AFTER LUNCH

Had to get a taxi this morning could hardly lift my feet after taking the wrong way home last night. Thought it would be impossible to get lost in Brisbane!

Although I do think the Kiwis got lost yesterday and they will need more than a Melways (Brisways?) to get them home in this game.

The day looks a bit suss weather-wise with intermittent showers expected. Seems like all of Australia is under suspicion in this area at the moment. According to the Abbot this is not so but his thoughts are even more sus now.

With a near new ball New Zealand will have their best chance of claiming wickets in the humid atmosphere that exists. Both Southee and Boult were on target early with a DRS from Southee being dismissed after about 3 minutes. Just how many balls are lost during any given day for appeals?

It takes 10 minutes before the Australians get off the mark. They are going to wear their opponents down today.

Boult bowls a beauty to Smith (48) that would have bowled anyone let alone one of the best players in the world. They need another one soon to get back in the game.

Thirty-nine runs in the first hour confirm that Australia is consolidating. Khawaja is solid and Voges is starting to play shots.

New Zealand’s attack is blunted when Tim Southee leaves the ground carrying an injury. Neesham and Bracewell will need to lift their performances of yesterday. Both bowlers lift after a fine spell from Boult.

Like Burns and Khawaja before him Voges needs a score to consolidate his position and he is settling in well although Craig beats him in between a pull and a cover drive both rattling the boundary.

Voges continues to play some fine shots all around the ground as NZ introduce a double a spin attack.

At 3/482 the home team has consolidated its position after a cautious start to the day’s play. After lunch the batsmen attacked and when Khawaja (174) holed out to Guptill Smith declared with Voges 83 not out. Australia 4/556. Only bowling figures of note Craig 0/156 – the highest number of runs a bowler has conceded without taking a wicket at the Gabba.

New Zealand started bravely and took 9 off Starc’s first over. After that the bowlers settled down although Johnson bowled too much outside the off-stump to Guptill in particular.

They kept the bowlers out for the remainder of the session and despite a sharp chance to Joe Burns off Mitch Johnson they comfortably reached 44 at the interval. Latham 27 and Guptill 13 They looked very good indeed.

The Australian bowlers were expected to come out breathing fire and brimstone but performed more like Puff the Magic dragon.

Hazlewood broke the impasse when he had Guptill (23) beautifully caught by Warner at third slip. New Zealand 1/56. Hazlewood has bowled superbly after tea with both pace and direction, reminiscent of his game here last year.

Kane Williamson has shown his class with four delightful boundaries with one drive off Johnson superb through the covers.

Latham, for his part, knows exactly what his job is unlike his namesake in Australia and is a perfect foil to his classy team mate.

Sure enough, say something nice about somebody and he gets out. Starc gets him first ball of a new spell when Latham (47) surprisingly holes out to Lyon at point with a nothing shot.

Interesting listening to Dirk Nannes on ABC radio talking about how to get Ross Taylor out caught at slip early in his innings. Sure enough, after 7 balls he is out for nought caught by Steve Smith at second slip of Mitchell Johnson. New Zealand 3/105.

All of a sudden the two Australian bowlers are taking charge of the game and it looks like they are bowling hand grenades to the batsmen.

McCullum (6) fends to Voges of Johnson to continue the collapse of the visitors 4/114. The pace attack has taken 3/12 in the last 25 minutes. Make that 4 wickets! Starc bowls Neesham(3) of his pads 5/118.

Williamson reaches a fine 50 with 9 fours. His batting has been far superior than his team mates perhaps with the exception of Latham who was a fine support.

At the end of the day New Zealand are 5/157 and will need some stubborn resistance tomorrow from Williamson and co to stay in the game. Australia won the day with fine batting from Voges and solid support from Khajawa and their strike bowlers hitting back hard in the final stanza.

About Bob Utber

At 84 years of age Citrus Bob is doing what he has always done since growing up on a small farm at Lang Lang. Talking, watching and writing sport and in recent years writing books. He lives in Mildura with his very considerate wife (Jenny) and a groodle named 'Chloe on Flinders' and can be found at Deakin 27 every day.

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