MELBOURNE, Dec 27: Australia snatched two early wickets to leave New Zealand facing an uphill battle to stay in the second Test on Friday as they chase the home team�s 467, built on the back of a gritty 114 from Travis Head.
At the close on day two, the Black Caps were 44 for two with Tom Latham not out on nine and Ross Taylor on two as a series defeat looms.
Captain Kane Williamson lasted only 14 balls, skying a James Pattinson delivery to wicketkeeper Tim Paine on nine while Tom Blundell, called up for the out-of-form Jeet Raval, was out to Pat Cummins for 15.
The visitors need to win to square the three-match series after crashing by 296 runs in the opening day-night clash in Perth. Australia looked in complete control at tea on 431 for five, but they then collapsed to be all out for 467 within nine overs of the restart.
Skipper Paine departed for 79 seven balls after tea, with Mitchell Starc gone soon after for one. Head, Cummins and Nathan Lyon rapidly followed with Neil Wagner (4-83) and Tim Southee (3-103) doing the damage. Australia started the day at 257 for four with Steve Smith on 77 and Head not out on 25.
Head came into the match under pressure after a lean spell, but silenced his critics with only his second Test century, reaching three figures off 222 balls.
�It�s very nice to contribute. It�s pretty cool to score a Boxing Day hundred, nice to get my opportunity,� said Head, adding that Paine�s counter-attacking when he came in helped.
�It helped that Tim came out and struck the ball as well as he did, it definitely took a lot of pressure off me. But credit to New Zealand, at times it was difficult and they stemmed the scoreboard.�
It was a patient innings from the 25-year-old, who scored his only other century (161) against Sri Lanka in Canberra. After reaching his ton he began hitting out and finally fell to a Wagner full toss, slicing it to Mitchell Santner.
SCORECARD
Australia 1st Innings (overnight 257-4): J Burns b Boult 0, D Warner c Southee b Wagner 41, M Labuschagne b de Grandhomme 63, S Smith c Nicholls b Wagner 85, M Wade c Watling b de Grandhomme 38, T Head c Snatner b Wagner 114, T Paine lbw Wagner 79, M Starc c Williamson b Southee 1, J Pattinson not out 14, P Cummins c Latham b Southee 0, N Lyon c Wagner b Southee 1. Extras: (LB-22, B-5, W-4) 31. Total: (All out in 155.1 overs) 467. Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-61, 3-144, 4-216, 5-284, 6-434, 7-435, 8-458, 9-463, 10-467. Bowling: Boult 31-3-91-1, Southee 33.1-6-103-1, de Grandhomme 30-5-68-2, Wagner 38-11-83-4, Santner 20-1-82-0, Blundell 3-0-13-0.
New Zealand 1st Innings: T Latham not out 9, T Blundell c Paine b Cummins 15, K Williamson c Paine b Pattinson 9, R Taylor not out 2. Extras: (LB-3, B-4, W-1, NB-1) 9. Total: (For 2 wickets in 18 overs) 44. Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-39. Bowling: Starc 4-0-18-0, Cummins 7-3-8-1, Pattinson 5-1-9-1, Lyon 2-0-2-0. � AFP
