Australia in control, Black Caps fate with Vettori

BY MARK GEENTY

Captain Daniel Vettori again holds the New Zealand cricket team's fate in his hands after his batting fightback saved their blushes in the first test against Australia in Wellington today.

Vettori stood firm on 42 not out in the gathering Basin Reserve gloom as New Zealand reached 108 for four at stumps on the second day in reply to Australia's first innings of 459 for five declared.

He and Martin Guptill, on 19 not out, propped New Zealand up from a wobbly 43 for four but need to kick on strongly tomorrow with the follow-on target still another 152 runs away.

Vettori picked the right balls to hit in his 79-ball knock, including five fours, while Guptill, now ensconced at No 5, played a mature hand with his side in trouble. He batted 113 minutes and 94 deliveries, with his only extravagant shot a big straight six off spinner Nathan Hauritz.

"We're behind the game but the way Dan and Guptill started showing some fight gives us a bit of hope," vice captain Ross Taylor said.

"Tomorrow's going to be an important first session; if we can not lose a wicket, or one at the most, then we're back in the game."

Left-arm paceman Doug Bollinger, with figures of two for 21, relished a bouncy pitch as he bookended the New Zealand top-order collapse.

He started the rot in the first over when he trapped BJ Watling dead in front with a fast inswinger, first ball.

New Zealand didn't need any more run out dramas but Tim McIntosh provided them when he pushed into the off side and called Peter Ingram through.

It was risky, and bowler Mitchell Johnson obliged brilliantly when his right foot kick hit the stumps with the unlucky Ingram, on five, well short.

McIntosh's unhappy 74-minute stay for nine ended when he edged debutant Ryan Harris to the slips cordon for the Queenslander's first test wicket.

Key man Taylor looked comfortable immediately, stroking four boundaries en route to 21, but a fired-up Bollinger returned and enticed an edge, leaving Vettori to marshall another rescue mission.

"I can't put my finger on what went wrong. We just lost too many wickets at crucial times and it's not that bad a wicket," Taylor said.

It was all Australia for the first half of the day, too, as Michael Clarke made 168 and Marcus North 112 not out to bat the hosts out of the test.

From 316 for four overnight, the pair rumbled on in perfect conditions as they put on 253, an Australian fifth wicket partnership record against New Zealand, beating the previous mark of 213 set by Greg Matthews and Greg Ritchie in the 1985-86 season.

Clarke's was the only Australian wicket to fall today when he charged Vettori and was stumped down the leg side by Brendon McCullum.

His epic innings, a 14th test century for the Australian vice-captain, spanned 364 minutes, 253 deliveries and included 22 fours and two sixes.

A jubilant North reached his fourth century in his 14th test soon after Clarke's departure as he top-edged Chris Martin over McCullum's head for four.

North, under pressure from rising star Steve Smith for his spot, had batted exactly five hours when captain Ricky Ponting boldly called time on the innings, 50 minutes after lunch.

"Without a doubt the pressure was there and when you haven't made a lot of runs there's a lot of speculation about your position. That's not a great feeling," North said.

On the early declaration, North explained: "It's positive captaincy. With rain maybe lingering around towards the end of the game it was a great move to get the game moving forward."

Debutant Brent Arnel was the most successful New Zealand bowler with two for 89 off 26 overs, Vettori toiled for 33 overs to take one for 111 while Martin was the only other wicket taker with one for 115 off 30.

Scoreboard after the Australian first innings on the second day of the first cricket test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington today:

AUSTRALIA

First innings (316-4 overnight)

P Hughes c Taylor b Arnel 20
S Katich lbw b Arnel 79
R Ponting run out 41
M Hussey c Watling b Martin 4
M Clarke st McCullum b Vettori 168
M North not out 112
B Haddin not out 11
Extras (2b, 15lb, 2w, 5nb) 24

Total (for 5 wkts dec, 131 overs) 459

Fall: 25 (Hughes), 104 (Ponting), 115 (Hussey), 176 (Katich), 429 (Clarke).

Bowling: C Martin 30-3-115-1 (3nb), T Southee 19-4-68-0 (1nb), B Arnel 26-4-89-2 (1w), D Tuffey 22-7-49-0 (1w), D Vettori 33-5-111-1 (1nb), M Guptill 1-0-10-0.

NEW ZEALAND

First innings

T McIntosh c Hussey b Harris 9
B Watling lbw b Bollinger 0
P Ingram run out 5
R Taylor c North b Bollinger 21
M Guptill not out 19
D Vettori not out 42
Extras (3lb, 2w, 7nb) 12

Total (for 4 wkts, 47 overs) 108

Fall: 3 (Watling), 14 (Ingram), 31 (McIntosh), 43 (Taylor)

Bowling: D Bollinger 10-4-21-2 (1w), R Harris 11-4-23-1 (1w, 1nb), M Johnson 8-4-16-0, N Hauritz 14-4-39-0 (6nb), M North 4-1-6-0.

- NZPA