Green puts Australia on top on a green-top

Cameron Green scored his second Test match ton as Australia overcame a mid-innings wobble on a green-top in Wellington to claim early control of the first Test against New Zealand. At stumps on the opening day at Basin Reserve, Green’s unbeaten 103 helped Australia overcome a fine Matt Henry bowling performance (4 for 43) to post 279/9.

Asked to bat on a green top, Australia’s top-order had the unenviable task of contending with a four-prong seam attack in (overcast) conditions conducive to their craft. To that effect, the hosts will feel aggrieved that they managed only a solitary wicket in what was a cagey opening session to the Test match. They were, perhaps, guilty of not bowling full enough in that first hour and despite beating Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja’s bats on a couple of occasions, there were no real chances created.

After each of the four quicks – Tim Southee, Henry, Scott Kuggeleijn and Will O’Rourke – had made their opening statements, it was Henry in his second spell of trying that brought New Zealand their first breakthrough. With the first ball of the 25th over, he drew an outside edge off Smith’s bat with a scrambled seam delivery that was sharply snaffled from ‘keeper Tom Blundell diving in front of first slip.

After a 67-run opening session, the play in the post-lunch period offered a better reflection of the conditions on offer. Kuggeleijn accounted for a highly defensive Marnus Labuschagne, who made 1 run off 27 deliveries, before finding himself rooted to the crease while attempting to play a full ball. Daryl Mitchell took the catch at first slip to end Labuschagne’s misery. Another full ball from Henry then brought the end of Khawaja’s dogged resistance as he failed to account for the inward curl on a delivery from around the stumps and lost his stumps.

When Travis Head fell in the following over, to O’Rourke, Australia were down to 89/4 and facing the prospect of a sub-par score. Green and Mitchell Marsh led a brisk counter-offensive to lift the visitors out of the rut. There were clear tactics employed by Green, in particular, who routinely walked down the pitch to the fast bowlers to cut the movement. Marsh, at the other end, found an alternative route to success by throwing his bat at any ball bowled on a wider line. Inside 14 balls of the pair getting together, there were four boundaries struck.

Marsh raced away to 26 off 19 following a six and a four off the top and outside edges respectively but the approach of the two Australian all-rounders had the effect of dispersing New Zealand bowlers off their control areas. The 67-run fifth-wicket stand ended straight after Tea when Marsh, looking to stay true to his counter-attacking disposition, top-edged a Henry short ball and was caught by the ‘keeper.

Green, however, continued to grow in confidence and hit Kuggeleijn for three boundaries in four balls as he pushed Australia closer to the crucial 200-run mark. The pitch proved harder to bat on in the period after the Tea interval with multiple deliveries rearing off a length and striking batters on the gloves and the arm. That meant batters were always eager to put away any balls on a driving length and one such attempt brought the end of Alex Carey’s stay in the middle as he drove a full Kuggeleijn delivery straight to cover.

Green got to his half-century with a boundary after drinks in the final session after an aerial drive evaded Southee on his follow-through. He upped his scoring rate thereafter as New Zealand turned to spin in a bid to get to the second new-ball as quickly as possible. He added 35 with Mitchell Starc and another 33 with Pat Cummins to take Australia past 250. He was in the 90s when Nathan Lyon fell to the second new ball. Batting with No.11, Green hit three boundaries in the last over of the day’s play to get to his milestone, displaying his deeper gears by going from 50 to 100 in just 46 balls and thereby helping his side grab the initiative from their hosts for good.

Brief scores:
Australia 279/9 in 85 overs (Steven Smith 31, Usman Khawaja 33, Cameron Green 103*, Mitchell Marsh 40; Matt Henry 4-33, William ORourke 2-59, Scott Kuggeleijn 2-56) vs New Zealand