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Daniel Vettori - Source: NZPA Images -
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Captain Daniel Vettori again holds the New Zealand cricket
team's fate in his hands after his batting fightback saved their
blushes in the first Test against Australia on Saturday.
Vettori stood firm on 42 not out in the gathering Basin Reserve
gloom as New Zealand reached 108 for four at stumps on the second
day in reply to Australia's first innings of 459 for five
declared.
He and Martin Guptill, on 19 not out, propped New Zealand up from a
wobbly 43 for four but need to kick on strongly Sunday with
the follow-on target still another 152 runs away.
Vettori picked the right balls to hit in his 79-ball knock,
including five fours, while Guptill, now ensconced at No 5, played
a mature hand with his side in trouble. He batted 113 minutes and
94 deliveries, with his only extravagant shot a big straight six
off spinner Nathan Hauritz.
Left-arm paceman Doug Bollinger, with figures of two for 21,
relished a bouncy pitch as he bookended the New Zealand top-order
collapse.
He started the rot in the first over when he trapped BJ Watling
dead in front with a fast inswinger, first ball.
New Zealand didn't need any more run out dramas but Tim McIntosh
provided them when he pushed into the off side and called Peter
Ingram through.
It was risky, and bowler Mitchell Johnson obliged brilliantly when
his right foot kick hit the stumps with the unlucky Ingram, on
five, short.
McIntosh's unhappy 74-minute stay for nine ended when he edged
debutant Ryan Harris to the slips cordon for the Queenslander's
first Test wicket.
Big hope Ross Taylor looked comfortable immediately, stroking four
boundaries en route to 21, but a fired-up Bollinger returned and
enticed an edge, leaving Vettori to marshall another rescue
mission.
It was all Australia for the first half of the day, too, as Michael
Clarke's 168 and Marcus North's 112 not out featuring in a
record-breaking partnership that batted the hosts out of the
Test.
From 316 for four overnight, the pair rumbled on in perfect
conditions as they put on 253, an Australian fifth wicket
partnership record against New Zealand, beating the previous mark
of 213 set by Greg Matthews and Greg Ritchie in the 1985-86
season.
Clarke's was the only Australian wicket to fall today when he
charged Vettori and was stumped down the leg side by Brendon
McCullum.
His epic innings, a 14th Test century for the Australian
vice-captain, spanned 364 minutes, 253 deliveries and included 22
fours and two sixes.
A jubilant North reached his fourth century in his 14th Test soon
after Clarke's departure as he top-edged Chris Martin over
McCullum's head for four.
North had batted exactly five hours when captain Ricky Ponting
boldly called time on the innings, 50 minutes after lunch.
Debutant Brent Arnel was the most successful New Zealand bowler
with two for 89 off 26 overs, Vettori toiled for 33 overs to take
one for 111 off 33 while Martin was the only other wicket taker
with one for 115 off 30.
