Day 2 Talking Points, Marnus Labuschagne, video, highlights, cricket news 2024

New Zealand has the lead but Australia marginally holds the upper-hand after an enthralling second day of the Trans-Tasman Trophy Test underway in Christchurch.

The Kiwis did well to bowl Australia out for 256 after they started the day at 4-124, particularly as Nathan Lyon and Marnus Labuschagne had the upper hand early.

Labuschagne top-scored for Australia with 90 while Matt Henry was superb for New Zealand when finishing with 7-67 from 23 overs, which are the best figures by a Kiwi bowler against Australia on home soil.

New Zealand was able to erase a first innings deficit of 94 in the final session and lead by 40 runs after reaching 2-134 at stumps.

Tom Latham is unbeaten on 65, which is his best score against Australia, while Rachin Ravindra is not out on 11. Pat Cummins struck an important blow when snaring the wicket of Kane Williamson for 51 in the last 30 minutes before stumps.

“What a great couple of days. We have seen plenty of wickets, plenty of runs … and I think we can appreciate hard Test cricket and that is what we have seen over the last couple of sessions,” Fox Cricket expert Brendon Julian said.

“It was a really good day for New Zealand. But the wicket of Kane Williamson was a massive, massive wicket. It has been an enthralling day … but take your hat off to Tom Latham, who has recorded his highest Test score against Australia.”

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TAIL RESCUES AUSSIES YET AGAIN

Nathan Lyon earned plaudits for his outstanding performance in the opening Test in Wellington when snaring ten wickets, with his bounce and accuracy proving too much for the Kiwis to handle.

If not for Cameron Green’s magnificent first-innings century at Basin Reserve, Lyon would have been a deserving recipient for player of the match honours.

Overshadowed by his performance with the ball in Wellington was the critical role he played as the nightwatchman when top-scoring in the second innings with 41 runs.

That contribution effectively put the opening Test beyond the reach of New Zealand and allowed Australia to secure the trans-Tasman Trophy once again.

In a tighter Test in Christchurch, the 36-year-old again succeeded in his role of nightwatchman when steering Australia through a tricky period before stumps on Friday night before making a handy 20 runs in a positive start to the second day for the tourists.

In Wellington he combined for a 49-run partnership with Usman Khawaja. In Christchurch Lyon and Marnus Labuschagne put on 51 runs together while frustrating the Kiwis. They might just prove match-winning runs once again.

“They were niggly runs from Lyon. I think if a nightwatchman is able to get you through the night and if they can then get to 20 … you have done a good job,” former New Zealand opener Mark Richardson said.

“It was another good knock by Nathan Lyon, frustrating the New Zealanders in the first half-hour of play.”

Lyon, who received three lives from New Zealand in his innings, was not the only Australian tailender to make a decent contribution either.

Mitchell Starc scored 28 and Pat Cummins the last man out with a rapid 23 as Australia was able to build a decent first innings buffer.

The Australian tail combined to score 72 of Australia’s total of 256 runs, which follows contributions of 62 to the 164 second innings tally in Wellington and the 52 runs the quartet managed in the first dig of 383 at Basin Reserve.

“It has been a bit of an issue. New Zealand had to take those wickets. We have talked about that throughout the series, those little moments … that New Zealand have not quite seized,” New Zealand broadcaster Scotty Stevenson said.

Not that the champion Australian attack have had it their own way, with the Kiwi tail also able to make handy contributions of 43, 47 and 55 in the series prior to the second innings on Saturday.

‘OUTSTANDING’ SPELL KEEPS KIWIS IN THE HUNT

Matt Henry has been a revelation with the bat in this series, scoring 85 runs of the Kiwis tally of 537 overall leading into the second innings in Christchurch at an average of just under 29.

But it is as a bowler that he has ensured New Zealand has been competitive in the series, with his deeds on his home ground at Hagley Oval superb on Friday and Saturday.

The 32-year-old revelled in the conditions when claiming the best ever figures by a New Zealander against Australia on home soil when taking 7-67 from 23 overs.

The humble Henry said after the Australian innings that he “had no idea” he had set a new mark, a milestone achievement he described as “pretty cool”.

It is the second best performance overall by a New Zealander against Australia and topped only by the stunning 9-57 Sir Richard Hadlee took at the Gabba in 1985.

It also bettered the 7-89 Danny Morrison secured when the Kiwis last defeated Australia in a Test on home soil back in 1993.

Best bowling figures by a New Zealander in a Test match against Australia

9/52 — Sir Richard Hadlee in Brisbane, 1985

7/67 — Matt Henry in Christchurch, 2024

7/87 — Daniel Vettori in Auckland, 2000

7/89 — Danny Morrison in Wellington, 1993

7116 — Sir Richard Hadlee in Christchurch, 1986

“What a wonderful bowling display from the right-armer from Christchurch. It really was outstanding stuff from Matt Henry. An outstanding performance with the ball,” former New Zealand opener Mark Richardson said.

Not surprisingly, the performance from Henry was well-received by the Christchurch crowd, who afforded the fast bowler a standing ovation as he came from Hagley Oval.

“It was a super spell a special spell, with Matt Henry delivering for his fans at home,” Kiwi broadcaster Scotty Stevenson said.

Henry also secured a five wicket haul in Australia’s first innings in Wellington and followed that effort with three in the second dig to take his tally for the series to 15.

MARNUS RESCUES AUSSIES TO SILENCE SCEPTICS

Amid another disappointing batting performance from the Australians, there was one shining light.

During an innings where nobody else managed more than 28, Marnus Labuschagne’s defiant knock on a seaming deck ensured Australia clinched a narrow first-innings lead at Hagley Oval.

Dismissed on the stroke of lunch on day two for 90, it was Labuschagne’s highest Test knock in 15 innings, with the Queenslander’s timely return to form rescuing the Australians in Christchurch.

Labuschagne’s previous scores in Tests were 10, 1*, 3, 5, 1 and 2, with the right-hander averaging 22.90 since the start of the home summer. He had developed an unfortunate habit of edging towards the slips cordon, which happened during three consecutive knocks in Brisbane and Wellington.

Ahead of the Christchurch Test, there were question marks around Labuschagne’s spot in the Test side, with the 29-year-old’s batting average slipping under 50 for the first time since 2019. Despite narrowly missing out on a 12th Test century, Labuschagne managed to silence the sceptics on Saturday.

Steve Smith, Travis Head and Alex Carey threw their wickets away with rash shots, but Labuschagne refused to budge as carnage unfolded at the other end.

To negate the deck’s seam movement, he stood outside the crease and occasionally walked down the pitch at New Zealand’s bowlers, which drew the ire of the umpires. However, the strategy worked.

Labuschagne scored runs in all corners of the picturesque venue, notching 12 boundaries while successfully converting easy singles into twos with clever running between the wickets.

Perhaps most reassuring was Labuschagne’s conviction with the bat. He left with authority and didn’t shy away from pulls and cuts when New Zealand’s seamers dropped short. It was the most confident he’s looked in the Test arena in more than 12 months.

However, the Australian No. 3 lost his patience on what was ultimately the final delivery of the morning session, slicing a wide delivery from rival captain Tim Southee towards gully, where Glenn Phillips held onto a superb one-handed catch.

INGLIS QUESTION LINGERS AFTER CAREY’S ‘FREEBIE’

Alex Carey failed to muffle speculation about his future in the Test side following a soft dismissal and a sloppy dropped catch in Christchurch on Saturday.

The South Australian had scratched his way towards 14 in the first innings before New Zealand spinner Glenn Phillips, who claimed a five-wicket haul in Wellington last week, was brought into the attack.

After successfully fending away the tweaker’s first delivery, Carey suffered a brain fade on the second, attempting to sweep a length delivery that was scooped towards mid-wicket, where Tom Latham swallowed a regulation catch.

It was a needless dismissal that exposed Australia’s tail and brought New Zealand back into the contest when the tourists were looking to extend their lead.

“That is a freebie,” former Australian all-rounder Brendon Julian declared in commentary.

“He was playing that sweep shot before he even bowled it, and he knew he wasn’t quite to the pitch of it.

“That is a big bonus. Big, big bonus for New Zealand.”

To make matters worse, Carey dropped a low chance late in the day to hand New Zealand opener Tom Latham a massive reprieve on 59.

Since last year’s Lord’s Ashes Test in England, Carey has averaged 20.70 with the bat, registering two fifties in eleven matches. During that period, he was dropped from the national one-day team for West Australian gloveman Josh Inglis, who won a World Cup title in India.

During last week’s series opener against New Zealand in Wellington, Carey slapped a wide delivery towards short cover in both innings, departing cheaply for 10 and 3. Meanwhile, Inglis blasted an unbeaten 136 during last week’s Sheffield Shield clash against Queenslander at the WACA, rescuing Western Australia after an early collapse.

With Australia’s next Test match not scheduled until late November, there will be conjecture about Carey’s spot in the team for nine months unless he unearths some runs in the second innings.

CUMMINS RISES TO THE OCCASION ONCE AGAIN … WHEN REMOVING KIWI TALISMAN

New Zealand champion Kane Williamson was looking set and ready to put to the sword the critics questioning his ability to first against the best around.

Having erased a first innings deficit of 94 in partnership with Kiwi opener Tom Latham, Williamson reached his half-century for the first time in the trans-Tasman Trophy Series.

Recent history suggested that this spelled trouble for the Australians, for in the previous eight innings he had managed the feat, the Kiwi had converted those innings into centuries.

Australia secured the trans-Tasman Trophy with their victory in Wellington last week but New Zealand still had the chance to square the series and an opportunity presented for their talisman.

But as has proven the case so regularly in recent years, when Australia needs a breakthrough, it is the captain Pat Cummins who rises to the occasion.

The champion bowler has endured a relatively lean series by his lofty standards, in part because his fellow bowlers have enjoyed an outstanding tour of the Shaky Isles.

But with Williamson and Latham managing to blunt Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon for once, Cummins called on himself. And he was incisive.

The Australian captain delivered a ball on a good length that was tempting enough to induce a mistake from Williamson, who had batted with great patience on Saturday.

The Kiwi attempted to force a drive but managed only to drag the ball back onto his stumps when falling for 51 to the lament of former New Zealand opener Mark Richardson.

“It just was not full enough and when you are looking to force that, it brings the inside edge into play,” he said.

“It was not a good shot by Williamson and he will know it. He will know it. He had that look about him as well. He just played a lazy shot.”

Had Williamson still been at the crease at stumps, an argument could be made that New Zealand would be favourite to square the series, but his dismissal tilted the scales back in favour of Australia.

Williamson said after play that the pitch was a good one to bat on and said the key to the Kiwis hopes was to make sure they focused on building partnerships on Sunday rather than batting with an ideal target in mind.

“They’re quality bowlers and obviously the pitch has offered a little bit throughout, so it was nice see a little bit of luck and then put together a bit of a partnership and hopefully tomorrow we can put a few more on there and have another go,” he said.

“There’s a little bit still in the surface, a bit of bounce. Credit to Tommy Latham, he lead the way and played beautifully. (But) there’s plenty of work to do tomorrow and yeah, importantly, we rest up and try to put together for more partnerships.

“It’s a good wicket. Obviously it did quite a bit on day one and probably coming into this morning, but it is a good surface. We’ve played on it a number of times and there is that bit of pace and bounce so if you can find some gaps, you get good value for runs.”