Australia out for 416 in day-night test against New Zealand

PERTH: Australia has been dismissed for 416 at tea on the second day of the series-opening day-night test.

Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne walks off after being bowled by New Zealand’s Neil Wagner during play in their cricket test in Perth, Australia, Friday, Decemeber 13, 2019. Photo: AP

After No 3 Marnus Labuschagne posted 143 and Travis Head scored an aggressive 56, swing bowler Tim Southee (4-93) and Neil Wagner (4-92) finally ended the Australia innings after 146.2 overs on Friday and toiling for 10 hours in 40 Celsius (104 F) heat.

Skipper Tim Paine was the last batter to fall, caught down the legside by wicketkeeper BJ Watling off Southee for 39 runs cobbled together over three hours off 105 balls.

Part-time legspinner Jeet Raval (1-33) gave the visitors something to smile about in the afternoon when he bowled Pat Cummins (20) around his legs to end a 38-run seventh wicket stand with Paine after the pair resumed 337-6 after the lunch break.

Runs were hard to come by in the middle session against disciplined line-and-length bowling by the New Zealand bowlers until Mitchell Starc arrived at the crease.

He took to spinners Mitchell Santner and Raval as he smashed a six and three fours in quick time. Starc was dropped by Raval at mid-off on 27 as the left-hander tried to hit Southee over the top.

Two overs later, though, trying to repeat the shot out again off Southee, Starc (30) holed out to Kane Williamson, who took a brilliant outfield catch running backwards toward the boundary. It triggered a lower-order collapse with Australia losing three wickets in nine balls.

Nathan Lyon, having hooked Wagner for successive boundaries, miscued a hook to Colin de Grandhomme at fine leg to give Wagner his fourth wicket.

In the first session Friday, Labuschagne narrowly missed his third consecutive 150 when he was bowled behind his legs by Wagner. The Australian No 3 hit a six and 18 boundaries in his 240-ball vigil over six hours as he anchored the innings.

Head, who was aggressive in scoring his seventh test half century, hit a wide ball from Southee straight to Santner in the covers. Head hit 10 fours off 97 balls and helped Labuschagne add 76 runs for the fifth wicket in quick time.

New Zealand was playing without fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, who has been ruled out of the test with a strained calf muscle in his right leg. Ferguson hasn’t been on the field since he limped off on the first afternoon.

Both teams are coming off series wins, with Australia sweeping Pakistan 2-0 and No. 2-ranked New Zealand accounting for England.

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