Australia end Day 2 at 241 for 3
by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

Scorecard:Australia v New Zealand
Player:MJ Clarke, MEK Hussey, RT Ponting, SM Katich, ML Hayden, B Lee, BB McCullum
Event:New Zealand in Australia 2008/09
DateLine: 29th November 2008

 

Australia trail New Zealand by 29 runs at the end of the second day's play of the final test at Adelaide. New Zealand were early on bowled out for 270 in their first innings . Lee finished with 4 wickets.Australia ended day 2 at 241 for 3 with Hussey and Clarke at the crease. Ponting was the top scorer with 79

Earlier in the day resuming at their overnight score of 262 for 6, New Zealand were bundled out for 270. They lost 4 wickets for 8 runs. Overnight batsman Mc Cullum was caught behind for 30 of Lee. Lee went on to wrap the tail to end up with 4 wickets.

Hayden and Katich started well. Hayden in particular was extremely aggressive but a mix up with Katich saw his innings come to an abrupt end for 24.Katich was caught bat pad of Vettori.Australia once again lost couple of wickets without even 50 on the board. Ponting along with Hussey forged a good partnership. Ponting was looking extremely dangerous and was severe on the Kiwi quicks. He was going at strike rate of 70 and reached his fifty and was involved in a century stand with Hussey.

Just when Ponting was getting close to a hundred, he threw it away pulling a short one from O'Brien straight to Fulton at midwicket. There were some heated exchanges between him and the New Zealand players before he left the ground. Hussey then steadied the ship with Clark and they had an unbeaten partnership of 86 going into the third day.Hussey went on to complete yet another half century in his glittering test career of amazing consistency.Though Australia were slow today they would want to play on tomorrow and get a sizeable lead in the first innings to put pressure on New Zealand when they come into bat. With the wicket starting to take slow turn Hauritz would want to make an impression in his comeback test match on day 3 and 4.