Key events
Pat Cummins has his big mitts on the Trans-Tasman Trophy for the first time as captain and a huge smile on his dial. “It was pretty tense,” laughs the Australian skipper. “Pretty nervous for the last couple of hours. Amazing win. The boys were fantastic today.”
Asked about his decision to crash the winning runs rather than let Alex Carey bring up his second Test century, Cummins pleads ignorance. “I had no idea he was on 98!”
Inately modest, Cummins says “the toss helped” in what he believes was “a funny old Test match – Day One moved really quickly, then the pitch flattened out. We’ve been on the other side of it plenty of time and if the scoreboard’s not moving you feel in the game. But if they are chipping away, it feels like it’s happening pretty quickly.”
When he came to the crease Australia were wobbling after losing two wickets in two balls and still needed 54 runs for victory. “Our goal today was to be busy, keep the run rate ticking over and bit by bit get closer,” explains Cummins. “We’ve got quite an experienced side and we’ve had a bit of success along the way. Here, I think the story of this series was: in key moments one guy stood up and made themselves a matchwinner.
“We keep finding ways to win. It’s a pretty awesome squad.”
New Zealand captain Tim Southee is devastated but philosophical: “It ended up being a great Test,” says the skipper, who took one wicket in each innings. “The partnership with Mitch Marsh and Alex Carey broke the back of our attack. But it was an exciting end to the day. When you are playing the No 1 side you need to go that little bit further. The Test ebbed and flowed throughout the whole match.”
Southee was rueful about missed opportunities, with Rachin Ravindra’s fumble of Mitch Marsh from Southee’s first ball of the day leaving him particularly salty. “No one means to drop catches,” shrugs the skipper with a wince. “But when you are playing against the best you have to be a bit better for longer.”
The positives? “Matt Henry has gone from strength to strength.”
Black Caps tyro Matt Henry has won Player of the Series for his 17 wickets across the series. “It’s disappointing,” says a downcast Henry. “But we showed a lot of fight out there. The attitude were brought to keep coming in, the way Ben Sears went about his work, to really crack an end open was brilliant… but it wasn’t meant to be.”
Today’s hero Alex Carey has been awarded Player of the Match for his unbeaten 98 and 10 catches. “It was a great series,” grins the keeper. “This game ebbed and flowed. Our backs were against the wall this morning…so it was nice to chase those runs down. The ball was nipping around. I thought Mitch Marsh’s intent was outstanding. He got us going. The messaging was, let’s play our way. Mitch’s innings was brilliant.”
Australia have won the second Test by three wickets
What a win for the boys in the baggy green caps! New Zealand slump, shattered at missing their chance to inflict a first home victory in 31 years on their big brothers. But led by Alex Carey’s epic unbeaten 98, Mitchell Marsh’s muscular eighty and Pat Cummins’ nerveless 32 at the death, the Australians have won the Test and taken the series 2-0.
The Test itself was a classic, as each side snatched back the ascendancy. The Black Caps tried to the last and young debutant fastbowler Ben Sears gave them an almighty sniff when he ripped out Mitchells Marsh and Starc in two sizzling deliveries. But in the end the calm of Cummins and the craft of Carey won the day.
In the end, Australia held their nerve to canter home. But they had to get a massive monkey off their back to do it. In their last 16 chases of 280+ the Australians have won only once – when Cummins and Lyon got them home at Edgbaston in 2023.
Now they’ve done it again to ice an imperious 12 months of cricket in which they beat England to retain the Ashes, defeated West Indies to keep the Frank Worrell Trophy, pumped Pakistan at home, swept away India to take the ICC World Test Championship and walloped all comers in the ODI World Cup. Now they’ve swept the Black Caps 2-zip and can go into the Test winter very proud.
65th over: Australia 277-7 (Carey 98, Cummins 32) AUSTRALIA WIN! Sears throws down the stumps but Cummins is safe within the batting crease. Inside edge on the fifth but it’s straight into the turf. Not this one though! Cummins crashes it through midwicket for a lovely four and that is victory for Australia by three wickets!
65th over: Australia 277-7 (Carey 98, Cummins 28) AUSTRALIA NEED 2 TO WIN. CRACK! goes Carey. Over the top the keeper goes and it’s another four. Three runs to win and three figures in sight for Alex Carey. One shot away… but Sears slings a spiteful delivery back of a length and it strikes Carey on the body. They run anyway. Two to win.
64th over: Australia 272-7 (Carey 93, Cummins 28) AUSTRALIA NEED 7 TO WIN. Last roll of the dice time for New Zealand. Black Caps captain Tim Southee calls in his strike bowler Matt Henry to bring it home. The lights come on at Hagley Oval and Carey gets an educated edge to the first delivery and steals four through slips. He’s into the 90s! Surely Southee has to crowd the Australian batters now. Instead Carey drives hard and only a hasty Henry hoof stops four down the ground. The Australians run a risky single anyway and Carey dives to make his ground. And BANG! Cummins straight drives Henry down the ground for an ice-cold four. Australia are seven runs away.
63rd over: Australia 263-7 (Carey 88, Cummins 24) AUSTRALIA NEED 16 TO WIN. Southee gives his young firebrand another over. Sears to Cummins but it’s short again and Captain Pat cuts for an easy single. Carey swivels on the second ball, a nervous no-ball from the debutant, to takes two off the target. Sears digs the next one in short and straight and catches Cummins hopping. But soft hands and a high elbow help drop it short of the fielder in close. Another bouncer, easily evaded by the Australian skipper. Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood are sweating bullets in the pavillion. But that helps! Cummins craftily cracks it fine and takes off. Great running by Carey turns it into three. And a single from the last takes Australia to within 16 of victory.
62nd over: Australia 256-7 (Carey 86, Cummins 20) AUSTRALIA NEED 23 TO WIN. There’s a pause for drinks. Strewth, I could do with a slug of something strong myself. But there’s work to do. Australia still have their noses in front here but New Zealand, seeking their first victory at home over their Anzac frenemy in 31 years, are charging hard. Here we go again and Carey sweeps beautifully for four first ball after drinks! Lovely control by Carey. It scythed along the Hagley Oval surface the entire way. Now he sweeps again and it’s another four! Clever by Carey. He just paddled Phillips around the corner calm as you like and it ran to fine leg. What an innings this is by the keeper. What a Test! But is there a twist or two to come?
61st over: Australia 248-7 (Carey 78, Cummins 20) AUSTRALIA NEED 31 TO WIN. Cut for four! Lovely shot by Cummins. Sears put it just outside the channel and the Australian captain guided it beautifully through the infield and all the way to the rope. There’s greater heat on the sequel delivery – Sears is up to 143kph and the extra effort sees him stumble in his follow-through. Cummins calmly swats another single from the third. Now Carey gets a look and immediately gets over the top of a lifter for a run. Cummins clips another two fine. It was almost four but the fielder at fine leg made good ground to stop it before the rope. Eight from the over!
60th over: Australia 240-7 (Carey 77, Cummins 13) AUSTRALIA NEED 39 TO WIN. Phillips to Cummins. You could hear a pin drop at Hagley Oval. The only sound audible is the yelp of the keeper’s “Bowled GP!”, the crunch of feet on turf and bat on ball. Cummins fends the first four and steps out to drive the fifth. No run. He gets a single from the final ball though to take the target under 40
59th over: Australia 239-7 (Carey 77, Cummins 12) AUSTRALIA NEED 40 TO WIN. Ramp shot! That was audacious from Carey. Sears thumped it in short and wide and Carey simply reached out and tapped it over the top for a lovely enterprising boundary. Another ramp to the third and this one is almost caught! Phillips may have got a fingernail on that one as he leapt over a metre off the ground to reel it in. Instead it becomes the most dramatic of singles. Cummins shuffles across to Sears and works a run from the fifth.
58th over: Australia 233-7 (Carey 72, Cummins 11) AUSTRALIA NEED 46 TO WIN. Glenn Phillips enters his 10th over. At age 27 he’s only played a handful of Tests and he’s ostensibly a batter but he’s certainly doing a great job for his skipper with the ball today – and has done all series. He leaks two on the final delivery though. Cummins got it fine and Carey ran like a jackrabbit to make it a double.
57th over: Australia 231-7 (Carey 72, Cummins 9) AUSTRALIA NEED 48 TO WIN. Ben Sears is back to Carey who takes a single from the first. With two wickets in two balls from his last over and figures of 4-58 the young debutant has the crazy eyes on. Speed gun has ticked over 140kph and Cummins is hopping around the crease trying to tamp the ball outside the reach of that man in close. He squirts a single fine and now Carey works another run off his hip to take the target under 50. Cummins clips a full ball for another run from the last.
56th over: Australia 227-7 (Carey 71, Cummins 7) AUSTRALIA NEED 52 TO WIN. Southee and Phillips are making Pat Cummins sweat now, moving the field inch by inch. Finally we enter the fray, Cummins lunging forward to defuse the first then inside edging the second. Almost a catch to short leg from the third. Nice fend to the fourth. Can Cummins do what he did with Nathan Lyon at Edgbaston last year? He taps two and runs well to make it. Cool stuff from the captain.
55th over: Australia 225-7 (Carey 71, Cummins 5) AUSTRALIA NEED 54 TO WIN. Edged… but safe! That was streaky by new batter Pat Cummins but he gets away with it. Ben Sears was within a foot of a hat-trick there. Cummins turns the last delivery away for a single to retain stroke. Huge over for New Zealand. The crowd are back in this game and the Test is back on a knife’s edge!
WICKET! Starc c Young b Sears 0 (Australia 220-7)
Starc gone first ball! Sears on a hat-trick!! He just chipped it to midwicket and Will Young poiuched the easiest of catches.
WICKET! Marsh lbw Sears 80 (Australia 220-6)
What a twist! Marsh is gone and the Black Caps are back in it. That looked legside for all money but Erasmus, in his final Test as a standing umpire, pointed to the sky and he’s been proven right. Huge wicket for the debutant Sears.
55th over: Australia 220-5 (Marsh 80, Carey 71) Ben Sears is into the attack and Marsh tries to cut him over the infield and misses. Big appeal now for lbw but that looked down leg for mine. Umpire Marais Erasmus has shot the finger up though… so we will go to the tape. No bat on it… but is it missing? No it isn’t!
54th over: Australia 220-5 (Marsh 80, Carey 71) Australia are accelerating toward this target and now Carey pushes handsomely at Henry’s second ball and takes another two. Henry attempts a riposte via a short ball but it’s only 131kph and Carey swivels and whips it off his eyebrows to the fence in a flash. Great shot! That takes Carey to his highest-ever second innings score for Australia. Target is now 59 runs to win.
53rd over: Australia 213-5 (Marsh 79, Carey 65) Phillips tries to rush one onto Carey but the keeper steps back and cuts fine for a single. Carey has looked excellent from the get-go today. He took the initiative away from the home side after the fall of Head and has rattled the run rate along at over five. Lots of luxurious ground strokes, plenty of fast-run singles – each as damaging and deflating to the Kiwis as the last
52nd over: Australia 211-5 (Marsh 78, Carey 64) Henry is running in hard but questions are being asked why Southee didn’t open with his strike bowler straight after lunch. Australia look very settled. Marsh taps deftly onto the offside and steals a single. Carey rolls his wrists on the fifth to take another and reduce the chase target to 68. It’s been 26 overs since the Black Caps took a wicket.
51st over: Australia 209-5 (Marsh 77, Carey 63) Another great call by James Wallace earlier, thanks Jim. He’s teed me – and Australia – up nicely. Phillips is back for a seventh over and he’s looked dangerous in every one of them. Carey gets into a nice crouch to fend off the first few. He tries to cut the last – risky! – but Southee has that pocket packed with fielders and there’s no run. A maiden.
50th over: Australia 209-5 (Marsh 77, Carey 63) Big lbw appeal straight up! Matt Henry, like Pat Cummins, has made a habit of striking with the first ball of a spell. No review here though given the Black Caps only have one left. And just as well as replays show an inside edge from Alex Carey. He takes a single from the next and Marsh heaves at the third but it’s only a single but it brings up 2000 Test runs for Mitchell Marsh. Not a bad return from 42 Tests. He’s brought ‘em up at an average over 30 with three centuries in the mix. Ouch! Henry strays onto Carey’s pads and gets glanced for four. And now it gets worse ffor th homne side as Marsh swipes Henry for six over square leg. 16 from the over and suddenly Australia only need 70 for victory.
James Wallace
Righto, that is me done. Angus Fontaine is here to take you through to the end of this match. Is there a sting in the ale tail yet? Thanks for your company, goodbye!
49th over: Australia 193-5 (Marsh 56, Carey 55)Phillips nearly gets Carey, a quicker ball passes so close to the edge it makes keeper Tom Blundell groan and fall to his knees upon taking it behind the stumps. A maiden from the burly tweaker.
48th over: Australia 193-5 (Marsh 69, Carey 55) Clobbered! Southee loses his line and Marsh cashes in! Ten runs off the over including two boundaries thrashed away into the off side. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… New Zealand need a wicket ten overs ago pronto.
47th over: Australia 183-5 (Marsh 59, Carey 55) Phillips is varying his pace and flight. Marsh uses his feet to get down the track and gets a meaty edge that flies down to third, they come back for three. The target is ticking down, down, deeper and down. 96 needed now for Australia.
46th over: Australia 180-5 (Marsh 56, Carey 55) Southee is picked off for a single each by Marsh and Carey. The hundred partnership comes up between this pair. It’s looking like a match winning one at the moment.
45th over: Australia 178-5 (Marsh 55, Carey 54) Phillips bustles in. He’s got a tight and tidy action and he gets through it with a flourish and a grunt at the crease. Tosses it up, Carey tries to slap it away but with no timing. A full bunger is pushed down the ground for an easy single. Marsh blocks out the final delivery.
44th over: Australia 177-5 (Marsh 55, Carey 53) Tim Southee starts off the afternoon session. His side looked ragged before the interval, they need to strike early here if Australia aren’t going to chase these runs down at a canter. Carey picks up three singles to continue his highly effective innings. Glenn Phillips is going to bowl from the other end, a good option this for New Zealand.
New Zealand will likely not get a second new ball, Glenn Phillips’ spin could well be their best chance of getting a breakthrough. He looked dangerous in his one over before lunch. The players are heading out onto the turf of the Hagley Oval.
Australia have scored at such a rate that the second new ball may not come into play#NZvAUS
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) March 11, 2024
Time to raid the fridge for a post midnight snack. Back soon!
The pitch at lunch of day 4 of this epic test. What a finale we have ahead. Beginning to believe Australia has the momentum but the 105 runs are still a mountain away! #NZvAus pic.twitter.com/tV6IjURbxF
— Thomas Miles (@TomCricket99) March 11, 2024
A very handy cameo from Alex Carey. He’ll resume after lunch too.
A very popular half century from Alex Carey. Lots of smiles in the Australian dressing-room when he got there. Has had a few things go his way but some trademark shots through the off-side & has approached it like an ODI run-chase, which he’s generally best at #NZvAus pic.twitter.com/z1RVDEcmhV
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) March 11, 2024
Lunch: Australia 174-5 ( Aus require 105 runs to win)
Glenn Phillips to bowl an over of spin before lunch. A slip and short leg in place. Big edge! Marsh comes down the track to play a booming drive, the ball flying off a thick edge and away for four!
New Zealand REVIEW for an LBW off Marsh! Has he trapped this? Or just missed a dipping full toss? NOT OUT. The faintest tickle saves Marsh. Australia head to lunch needing 105 more runs to win.
19 overs have yielded 97 runs for Australia this morning and just the one wicket for New Zealand. Even more disconcerting for Tim Southee is the run rate, the visitors have been rollocking along at 5.11 runs an over with Marsh and Carey playing positively, looking more comfortable and dangerous with each over that passes. This ain’t no nervous chase at the moment.
43rd over: Australia 174-5 (Marsh 55, Carey 50)
Glenn Phillips with the ball. Reckon this is the game here. #NZvAus
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) March 11, 2024
42nd over: Australia 170-5 (Marsh 51, Carey 50) New Zealand are leaking runs here in the run up towards lunch, they might be very glad to get off the park and regroup in a few minutes. Sears is edged for four by Carey who then crunches to the point fence off the very next ball. Carey picks up another couple of twos to go to a very useful fifty off just 61 balls. Australia are ending the session in dominant style.
41st over: Australia 158-5 (Marsh 51, Carey 38) Kuggeleijn is going to get his Neil Wagner on here and send down a barrage of short stuff. Hmmm – a dodgy start to the bouncer campaign as one flies way wide and over both batter and Blundell and away for four byes. Two more leg byes off Marsh’s rump and then off the final ball of the over another short ball clips Mitch Marsh on the back and runs away for another four. Marsh was taking evasive action so the runs count. What a weird over – a maiden that cost New Zealand ten runs.
40th over: Australia 148-5 (Marsh 51, Carey 38) Sears tightens things up and gets a bit of control back for Tim Southee. A maiden blocked out by Alex Carey.
39th over: Australia 148-5 (Marsh 51, Carey 38) Kuggeleijn spears one down the leg side – Blundell can only get a finger on it behind the stumps and it runs away for four. Shot! Carey stands tall and punches off the back foot for four more. New Zealand beginning to leak runs through Sears and Kuggeleijn. Crack! Marsh pulls a short ball for four more to move to fifty*. Thirteen runs off the over as well as a burned review as the Kiwis thought Carey had tickled an upper cut behind but it was his helmet grille creaking at the crucial moment. The target is reduced to 131 runs, there have been 47 runs scored in the last ten overs and crucially, nada/nowt/zilch/diddly squat in the wickets column.
*Penny for Rachin Ravindra’s thoughts right now. He shelled Marsh when he was on 28.
38th over: Australia 135-5 (Marsh 47, Carey 33) Sears does replace Henry. Blue skies abundant now in Christchurch. Beaten! Sears is full and draws Carey into the drive, very close to nicking off. Another good ball from Sears sees Carey get a meaty edge wide of the cordon and away for four. That’s the 50 partnership for Marsh and Carey. Runs coming steadily.
37th over: Australia 128-5 (Marsh 45, Carey 28) Scott Kuggeleijn into the attack. Maybe a change of ends for Ben Sears. A leg bye and a quick single to Carey. The partnership is officially into ‘worrisome’ for the Kiwis now.
36th over: Australia 126-5 (Marsh 45, Carey 27) Carey tucks for two into the leg side. “Negative Nigel that I am” writes Ben Bernards, “I had New Zealand to take three more wickets in good time (say, before the dastardly canary yellows reach 170) only for a combination of Cummins and Starc to blast Australia home with a partnership of 100-odd at a run a ball. As Rachin spilled Marsh earlier I adjusted my prediction to ‘Marsh scores 160 not out’ instead. Hold me.”
Hold me in your arms, may they keep me
Sing me a lullaby, ‘cause I’m sleepy
35th over: Australia 123-5 (Marsh 45, Carey 25) Sears starts them off again after a quick slurp of something luminous. He really reminds me of the young fella from Manchester by the Sea. Sad film. Exciting bowler. A loose ball is picked off the hip from Carey for four to fine leg. A couple more are collected down the ground. Australia ticking along at 3.5 runs an over, 156 more runs needed for them. Five wickets for New Zealand. All set for an arse nipper?
Close but no watermelon vape:
34th over: Australia 116-5 (Marsh 44, Carey 19) Carey survives and it is time for a drink. A breathless 45 minutes of play this morning. A drop, a wicket, a near chop on, a flurry of boundaries and an LBW overturned. Time for a drink.
