Australia v New Zealand: first Test, day two – as it happened

Steve Smith took a superhuman catch and Mitchell Starc claimed four wickets as New Zealand slumped in reply to the hosts

12.48pm GMT

Related: Steve Smith makes stunning catch as Australia boss Black Caps

12.36pm GMT

New Zealand trail by 307 runs. Needless to say, they are in a world of pain if they don’t have a perfect first session tomorrow - then some. We’ll be back for that, as always, on the OBO! Goodbye for now.

12.35pm GMT

Starc is on telly. Knew to go straight at the stumps when Wagner walked out as nightwatchman. Thought he was a chance for the hat-trick with Taylor going hard. Not to be. Says nice things about Smith’s Superman catch. Disappointed for Hazlewood.

12.33pm GMT

32nd over: New Zealand 109-5 (Taylor 66, Watling 0) Cummins has the final over of the day - exactly the man for the job. Oooh, and Taylor has a wee pop at one outside the off stump and it splits the cordon at a catchable height through about fourth slip! He’s quite right to leave the next alone, an off-cutter the inevitable response - inside edged onto his pad. Last ball of the day... and Taylor on-drives it, gorgeously, for four. What a session of Test cricket. And exhale.

12.27pm GMT

31st over: New Zealand 101-5 (Taylor 58, Watling 0) Taylor doesn’t really mind that wickets are falling around him; he’s going okay. A couple behind point follows the hat-trick avoidance, then another on the pull - a beautifully timed shot, straight to the sweeper. Watling gets through Starc’s final two balls of the evening. One over to go.

12.24pm GMT

ROSSCO SURVIVES! Sure enough, he had a pop at the hat-trick ball and nearly chopped on. I’m genuinely surprised by this. I might tell my therapist this story next week. Thanks for playing along.

12.22pm GMT

30th over: New Zealand 98-5 (Taylor 55, Watling 0) Okay, some history. I’ve been to 116 Test Matches including 54 of the last 57 Australia have played. Through some pretty shoddy luck, and poor timing, I’ve never witnessed a Test hat-trick. This is a bit of a thing on twitter. Per the below, I predicted yesterday - this being the first home Test I’ve missed since December 2013 - that it is certain to happen. So find a telly, Mitch Starc is about to take a hat-trick.

Well, I did call this 27 hours ago. Nothing more certain than Starc getting this done. #AUSvNZ https://t.co/1WibBz6BY4

12.18pm GMT

Bowled him first ball! The classic Starc yorker it was, a little inside edge, then back onto the woodwork! He’s on a hat-trick next over.

29th over: New Zealand 97-5 (Taylor 51) New Zealand lose their number five and their nightwatchman in consecutive balls. Shocker.

12.15pm GMT

Strangled down the legside! Paine had quite a bit to do moving to his right but he’s one of the best in the business for a reason. Just what New Zealand couldn’t afford to happen this close to stumps.

12.12pm GMT

28t over: New Zealand 90-3 (Taylor 51, Nicholls 3) Cummins is banging into Taylor, hitting him on the thigh pad then finding his inside edge past short leg later in the set. Every ball an examination.

We have an update on Hazlewood from CA. He has a left hamstring strain and will undergo an MRI scan tonight. That’s all for now.

12.08pm GMT

27th over: New Zealand 89-3 (Taylor 50, Nicholls 3) Ummm, Labuschagne is convinced Nicholls has edged the final Starc delivery and is going WILD at short leg. Except... he’s the only man appealing. Snicko shows that there is no edge. There was a noise. “100% I heard something,” he says on the stump mic. Gotta love his enthusiasm. Earlier in the over, Taylor reached his half-century with a single off his hip. “One of the grittiest in his career,” Ian Smith’s assessment.

12.03pm GMT

26th over: New Zealand 88-3 (Taylor 49, Nicholls 3) Good call getting Cummins back in the act with eight overs (or half an hour) left. As I predicted when the innings started, there’s some chance Australia won’t get through a session worth of overs with the added half an hour. Sigh. Anyway, Cummins is brilliant. Some indecision early in the over leads to a direct hit at the non-strikers’ end from midwicket. The check upstairs but Nicholls is safely home. Taylor’s edge is found and his bat is beaten before the over is done. Seven overs left but a long, long way to go for New Zealand. Compelling cricket.

11.59am GMT

25th over: New Zealand 83-3 (Taylor 45, Nicholls 2) Taylor keeps the board ticking, driving a couple past mid off before grabbing another around the corner. Nicholls deals with the rest. Gotta get to stumps.

There are 20,018 at the Casino Stadium tonight, CA have told us. The final Test at the WACA in 2017 had 22,000-plus on each of the first two days. Presented without further comment.

11.55am GMT

24th over: New Zealand 80-3 (Taylor 42, Nicholls 2) I admit, I’m down a youtube wormhole on brilliant Smith catches and I haven’t watched a lot of that Lyon over. I know three runs were taken off it and Nicholls was off the mark with a couple behind square.

Was this Smith’s best catch tonight? Or was it this, as a chubby kid?

11.49am GMT

23rd over: New Zealand 77-3 (Taylor 41, Nicholls 0) Henry Nicholls walks out for his first Test innings in Australia and defends to begin with a nice, broad blade. He’s a very organised player. Ooh, Labuschagne is in the game to finish, collecting the ball on the bounce. “Those are the catches you dream of,” says Mark Waugh on commentary. He should know. Cue up the 1999 World Cup Final.

11.45am GMT

Ridiculous.

STEVE SMITH!

It doesn't get any better than that! #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/fxMje4Ms7I

11.44am GMT

A ONE-HANDED RIPPER! One of the best catches you’ll ever see from Steve Smith, diving to his right at full stretch at second slip, his right hand dragging the chance in. Starc beat him with a beauty the ball before and now wins the contest. A huge moment in this game.

11.41am GMT

22nd over: New Zealand 76-2 (Williamson 34, Taylor 40) Lyon around the wicket with two catchers on the legside to Williamson. “Let’s have them run each other out!” roars Paine, hinting at the fact that these two have been involved in many mix-ups over the years. It’s a good over from Lyon, which ends with Williamson opening up the face of his bat just enough to run it past Smith at slip and down to the rope. Hands on heads, but he knew what he was doing.

11.38am GMT

21st over: New Zealand 71-2 (Williamson 30, Taylor 39) Starc to Williamson. He isn’t using his bat for the first half of the over, happy to let Starc do his thing short of a length. When he does come back at the batsman, he responds with soft hands in defence. This is superb Test Match cricket between some of the best players in the world.

11.36am GMT

20th over: New Zealand 71-2 (Williamson 30, Taylor 39) Tidy from Lyon, his length brougth back a tad to deny Taylor the drive. The TV cuts to shots of The Richies at the end of the over. No comment.

11.33am GMT

19th over: New Zealand 69-2 (Williamson 29, Taylor 38) Starc is back and Williamson is up to the task, leaping into a full ball with immaculate timing, out to the cover point boundary. So good. But Starc bounces straight back with an unplayable, jagging away from Williamson from a full length after pitching on middle. Too good. The Black Cap numbero uno keeps his cool to drive a couple more out in the cover direction to finish. So much relies on these two getting to the close. There are 14 overs remaining tonight.

11.26am GMT

18th over: New Zealand 63-2 (Williamson 23, Taylor 38) Taylor continues to take the game to Lyon, driving him through cover for a couple then getting two more behind point, albeit off the edge. Paine can’t glove one down the legside, a bye added, before Williamson keeps the strike with an ODI-esque single down the ground. Better.

“This series has lived up to its hype so far,” Abhijato Sensarma declares. “The batting and bowling on display makes for excellent viewing. New Zealand bucked the trend of away losses by winning an all-time great series in the UAE ... If they do it here, which they very much can, it’ll firmly put New Zealand on the map as a real WTC contender. Who do you think will meet India at Lord’s for the Final?”

11.21am GMT

17th over: New Zealand 57-2 (Williamson 22, Taylor 34) Classic Williamson to start again after drinks, using the pace of Cummins to ease him behind point for four. The short ball is evaded with a bit more ease, the defence is tight. It took a while, but the captain is set.

So much adrenaline in the cricket this session #AusvNZ

11.14am GMT

16th over: New Zealand 53-2 (Williamson 18, Taylor 34) Taylor opens up the arms, not without some risk. His drive through cover is in the air, prompting a roar of catch from Paine, but it is wide of the man and down to the rope. He goes again later in the over, getting to the ball after coming down the track, clearing cover. To finish, a deft late cut makes it three boundaries from the over as they go to drinks. Clever batting, denying Lyon the chance to get into his groove.

11.09am GMT

15th over: New Zealand 41-2 (Williamson 18, Taylor 22) Cummins vs Williamson: give me all that you’ve got. Ooh, and he’s only gone and hit him on the hand, the ball then deflecting onto his box. He gives himself a chance to gather his thoughts after that and fair enough, too. Composed, he gets through the rest of it safely.

Imagine bowling a total of eight deliveries in a Test match but one of them was that pornographic thunderbolt to Jeet Raval.

11.04am GMT

14th over: New Zealand 41-2 (Williamson 18, Taylor 22) Shot. Taylor leans on a wider ball that he turns into a half-volley with a big stride, creaming it through cover to move into the 20s. Just as it was in his first over, he then dragged the length back and tightened the screws.

11.02am GMT

13th over: New Zealand 37-2 (Williamson 18, Taylor 18) Cummins beats Williamson this time; a ball he had to play at, straightening a treat beyond his bat. He’s testing him short and full. Box Office.

10.59am GMT

12th over: New Zealand 36-2 (Williamson 18, Taylor 17) The Wade Experiment comes to an end for now, Nathan Lyon thrown the ball for his first twist. He’s too full to Williamson early on, a half-volley timed safely through cover for four. He finds his range thereafter. With Hazlewood more than likely out of the match, this will be the first of many overs he is asked to bowl over the next few days.

10.56am GMT

11th over: New Zealand 32-2 (Williamson 14, Taylor 17) Gosh, this interrogation is not getting any less troubling for the Black Caps. Cummins is ferocious, finding the edge then beating it with a shorter ball that lifts at Taylor. He then tempts him outside the off-stump; the 36-year-old too smart to fall for that trick. A legitimate bouncer finishes the over, so potent that Paine has to leap one-handed to drag it down to in effect save four byes. Excellent wicketkeeping.

10.52am GMT

10th over: New Zealand 32-2 (Williamson 14, Taylor 17) Williamson did hit the last ball of the previous over! We get the snicko on screen and it’s conclusive. Oh dear. Smith was the one Australian who heard the edge. Reminiscent of Steve Waugh at the MCG in 2002 against England in that sketchy fourth-innings chase. Meanwhile, Wade beats Taylor a second time with another outswinger that does plenty. The over doesn’t get any better than that - some looser deliveries worked around the field for three singles - but he’s very much in the contest as the sun starts to set over Casino Stadium.

10.48am GMT

9th over: New Zealand 29-2 (Williamson 13, Taylor 15) There’s a nice graphic showing how late Williamson plays the ball, which serves him well against an unrelenting Cummins. And one time the big quick misses his mark, he’s right in position to clip it away for four. Good batting. Oh, less so the last ball, wafting and missing outside the line of the off-stump. Behind the wicket, Smith reckons he might have tickled it but there’s no response from the bowler or captain.

10.46am GMT

8th over: New Zealand 24-2 (Williamson 9, Taylor 14) Welcome to the attack in the eighth over a Test Match innings... Matthew Wade! With Hazlewood off the field and no all-rounder, he is the next in the pecking order as far as a seam option is concerned. I’ve watched him bowl plenty the nets and he does quite often make life tough for the established batsmen. Anyway, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, as you might expect. He beats Taylor with a lovely outswinger to begin, curling past the blade... then bumps him! But the veteran isn’t missing out the second time the short ball comes down, hammering it behind square for four. By the end of the set, Wade has lost his radar.

“Hi Adam.” Hi Henry Coleman. “Perhaps understandably, a little surly this morning. Given the blessed wonders of escapism in this cricket match as a UK neutral, and the fact you worked in politics for a time, do you have any good yarns of Antipodean politics or sport that may offer a hopeful thought this morning? From one citizen of the world to another, Harry. p.s. cricket x.”

10.39am GMT

7th over: New Zealand 19-2 (Williamson 9, Taylor 9) Less going on here for Starc with Williamson, as they say, getting into his work. The Black Caps skipper plays a neat drive through cover, which should do wonders for his confidence. Earlier in the over, Taylor made decent contact off the back foot, cutting three for himself.

10.33am GMT

6th over: New Zealand 12-2 (Williamson 5, Taylor 6) Cummins wants in on this too, beating Taylor on the inside edge to start his fresh set, not far from the woodwork once more. An edge, albeit one more or less along the ground, follows. Four runs added; some respite. Sure enough, Cummins is back close to the timber hitting the back pad. The huge shout is turned down and Paine doesn’t refer it - contact outside the line? It doesn’t end there. A probing short ball under Taylor’s arm is just kept away from trouble, once again into that leg gully region. Time for a fielder there? Oh, and to finish, Williamson nearly chops on for the third time in his innings so far! Superb stuff!

10.27am GMT

5th over: New Zealand 7-2 (Williamson 5, Taylor 1) Every single ball something is happening. To begin Starc’s over, Taylor creams a straight drive but he gets nothing for it - Williamson’s body is in the way. Next comes the shorter ball - if a leg gully was in play, that was a chance. Next a shout for leg before against Williamson, albeit an ambitious one. A rapid bouncer to finish at the skipper, getting under it at the very last moment. The one saving grace for New Zealand is that there is no longer a shadow across the middle of the pitch. It really was a terrible time for them to start this innings but Australia have made it count. Meanwhile, Patto for Boxing Day?

10.23am GMT

4th over: New Zealand 6-2 (Williamson 5, Taylor 0) Cummins to complete the over with four balls to go in it and immediately finds Williamson’s inside edge. Dear me, not far away from the captain chopping on to give the man they call Winx a wicket with his first delivery. “It’s really tough out there,” says Ian Smith. Too right it is.

Seeing the replay, it’s definitely Hazlewood’s left hamstring causing him trouble. The ball before pulling up he grabbed for that leg. CA are usually pretty good with injury updates - we’ll have one soon.

10.19am GMT

On the way to bowl the third ball of his second over, Hazlewood pulls up in his run - only about five paces into it - and immediately leaves the field.

10.18am GMT

3rd over: New Zealand 2-2 (Williamson 1, Taylor 0) Starc is bowling quickly and accurately with movement back towards Taylor from over the wicket. In other words: a complete bloody nightmare. Oh, and now he’s pinned him on the shoulder with a short ball. Then some drama to finish! Taylor clips well to midwicket and takes on Cummins! You don’t do that. The athlete makes a diving stop and throw. A direct hit would have been that. Instead, a Warner haS enough time to push the ball onto the woodwork after a dive of his own. The TV ump shows Taylor to be in by a foot. Was his bat grounded? Anyway, he’s given not out. IT’S ALL HAPPENING.

10.11am GMT

2nd over: New Zealand 1-2 (Williamson 0, Taylor 0) What a formidale record Hazlewood has since returning to this XI at Lord’s. Since then, he’s been taking his wickets at 20-odd. Sure enough, he’s right on the money to the new man Taylor, who is defending from off-stump.

10.08am GMT

It’s a beauty! Raval shouldn’t have been trying to whip Hazlewood from the line of the off stump and he pays the price, his middle pole bent back when the delivery comes back through the gate from over the wicket. What a bowler, what a start.

10.05am GMT

1st over: New Zealand 1-1 (Raval 1, Williamson 0) Now Williamson walks out with one ball to face in the first over of New Zealand’s reply. There’s an appeal from Paine for a legside caught behind too, albeit not an overly enthusiastic one. It clipped his thigh pad.

Earlier in the over, Starc was right on the money straight away; Raval solid in defence. As Michael Vaughan said on TV, what a tough time to open with shadows all over the pitch from the grandstands. He was then off the mark with one off his hip, via the inside edge.

Right, Australia have 33 overs to bowl and 122 minutes from the start until the scheduled close. The question: how many overs will they burn when they don’t get these in - even with the extra half hour?

10.02am GMT

Latham is gone second ball! He tried to work Starc into the legside to get off the mark but instead, his leading edge returned safely to the bowler for the easiest of catches. Yuk.

9.57am GMT

Alright, the players are back on the field. Raval and Latham, two southpaws, opening for New Zealand. Another, Mitch Starc, has the ball in his hand for Australia. And he’s in good nick. PLAY!

9.55am GMT

Great news for people who care about Glenn Maxwell. Which should be all of us. He’s back in business. Go you good thing.

Glenn Maxwell came off after hitting a fifty for @fitzdonc last month and said, 'I love cricket again.'

Good to see him back: https://t.co/uINH5oFoIc

9.53am GMT

“Morning Collo.” Hello, Nick Toovey. “Seems that the doomsayers of D/N cricket have dropped off that high horse. There doesn’t seem to be any real mention of two separate stats lists anymore?”

They are still out there and I’m sympathetic to some of the arguments. However, I’m glad we’re beyond the stats debate.

9.43am GMT

The changeover is also the tea break. Wagner is on the telly giving an unbeat interview, very happy to get the job done despite being a bowler down with Ferguson ruled out with a calf injury this time yesterday. In this heat, it’s an especially good effort. Starc’s cameo and Paine’s patience got the hosts beyond their primary goal of 400. All told, it’s nicely set up for another eventful session under lights!

I’ll leave you with that Williamson catch. Back after a coffee.

Well held by the Kiwi skipper! #AUSvNZ | https://t.co/0Uay6Vh9fg pic.twitter.com/yACdiDzUBD

9.39am GMT

A short ball ends the innings too, Paine tickling a hook shot into the gloves of Watling, who completes a tidy diving catch. Southee finishes with 4/93 to go with Wagner’s 4/92.

9.37am GMT

Fun while it lasted! Lyon is caught at fine leg by de Grandhomme, ultimately falling for the Wagner trap. But he did collect consecutive boundaries by successfully taking on the short ball, pulling with authority to the square leg boundary then hooking successfully too. But Wagner persisted and it worked. He’s earned four wickets.

146th over: Australia 416-9 (Paine 39)

9.30am GMT

What a catch by the captain! Running back with the flight from mid-off towards the rope, he’s pulled in a beauty over his left shoulder.

145th over: Australia 408-8 (Paine 39)

9.27am GMT

144th over: Australia 405-7 (Paine 39, Starc 28) Wagner is back, with a chance to bank a fifth five-wicket innings of the year. He’s in my team of 2019, make no mistake. He’s so close to slipping through Starc’s defences with an old-fashioned inswinging yorker, but his opposing number gets his blade down just in time to dig it out. Earlier in the set, Paine is fortunate that Williamson didn’t hit from mid-off. We’re about 15 minutes from tea now, which might be the declaration if this were being played in Adelaide or starting at 2pm local time. But in Perth, with a 1pm start (thus, fewer overs played under lights), there’s no reason to pull the pin at the break.

9.19am GMT

143rd over: Australia 403-7 (Paine 38, Starc 27) Southee to Starc, and he’s DROPPED at mid-on! Per the last few overs, he took a few deliveries to get his eye in before winding up, but for the first time he didn’t get all of it, picking out Raval. But, to the dismay of the bowler, he’s put the chance down moving to his right. Painful.

9.16am GMT

142nd over: Australia 403-7 (Paine 38, Starc 27) Mark Waugh doesn’t share the sentiment of my previous post, immediately complaining that Australia haven’t scored quickly enough to satisfy him. Oh well. He likes what Starc is doing though, which now includes a SIX when hammering Santner over long-on and into the crowd. He’s not going at everything, rather, picking his ball to go at and swinging hard. He’s now 27 from 24. More importantly, Australia have passed 400.

Tim Paine's first-class average when batting in Perth: 51.46 #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/XqlMsdvAmU

9.13am GMT

141st over: Australia 394-7 (Paine 37, Starc 19) Southee returns and Paine is ticking the board over now too, cleverly deflecting behind point for his second boundary. He’s clocked up 100 balls in the middle now, which he did routinely during the Ashes of 2017-18 and the South African tour that followed. He’s made sure that Australia will get beyond 400. Mostly slow going, but does it really matter?

9.08am GMT

140th over: Australia 388-7 (Paine 32, Starc 18) What a cameo this is turning into from Starc, moving to 18 from 18 balls with another firm strike through midwicket, this time taking Santner across the line to the midwicket boundary. The spinner hasn’t done a thing wrong there either, his over a probing one. The lot in life of a twirler.

9.05am GMT

139th over: Australia 382-7 (Paine 31, Starc 13) Block, block, block... SWING! Classic Starc, deploying his slog sweep against Raval for the second time in two overs, the result another boundary with the ball landing just inside the ropes at cow corner. Lovely strike. A touch odd, though, that Williamson’s midwicket isn’t all the way back.

9.02am GMT

138th over: Australia 377-7 (Paine 31, Starc 8) Between overs, Raval races off the field. The close-up shows that he split a finger open fielding a ball from his own bowling, so that’ll need to be patched up. Santner continues to Starc, who gets down the other end straight away. The skipper’s turn, who has faced 89 balls for his 29. He’s cramped up well by the spinners’ arm-ball, so close to skidding onto the woodwork and/or back pad. A shout for caught behind follows when Paine misses his sweep but Watling is the only man interested.

I’ve received messages in reply to my tweet arguing that cricket is a nice antidode to dread. Responders have put to me that this is a fairly dreary session. I’m not so sure. Give me graft. I’m all in.

8.56am GMT

137th over: Australia 374-7 (Paine 29, Starc 7) This is what Starc does so well, coming in and adding quick runs. Early in the Raval over here, the left-hander gets down low to slog sweep over midwicket, the ball galloping away to the rope. The leggle recovers well though, his accurate wrong’un deployed to keep both batsmen defending.

8.53am GMT

136th over: Australia 369-7 (Paine 29, Starc 2) Edge! Paine splits the gap between the ‘keeper Watling and Taylor at slip. He was cutting Santner off the back foot, who won a bit of extra turn and bounce. As Brendon Julian notes on telly, both catchers had their weight in the wrong foot to put in a realistic dive. His wicket column doesn’t reflect it but Santner has done a lot right over the last day and a half.

8.49am GMT

135th over: Australia 365-7 (Paine 27, Starc 1) Starc is off the mark with a push to cover, which completes Raval’s successful over.

Bowled around his legs! Jeet Raval celebrates his first Test wicket! #OhWhatAFeeling@Toyota_Aus | #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/qGdCjpRw6J

8.47am GMT

Hello. Thanks, Geoffers. What a lovely way to pick up your first Test wicket! Just as it was 24 hours ago, the Black Caps have kept themselves in the game by starving the Australians during the toughest period of the day in the Perth heat. They deserve to bowl Australia out this side of 400.

I’m sitting in the same chair at Guardian HQ that I did the morning after the 2017 Election and during 2016 Australian Election night. Once again, I’m going to embrace this distraction. Test cricket is helpful like that. Do so with me in the usual way.

8.41am GMT

He’s done it! A long part-time spell by Raval, and in his 11th over he’s picked up a wicket! With a nice leg-break as well, bowling Cummins around his legs as the fast bowler tried to sweep. Good flight, drew him into the shot and then spins back enough to take leg stump. Patience pays off!

That’s my patience over too – it’s drinks now, and Adam Collins will take over after that. Cheerio.

8.39am GMT

134th over: Australia 362-6 (Paine 25, Cummins 20) Another maiden for Santner! Cummins has now blotted up so much of the strike that he’s gone past Paine for balls faced, despite coming out after him. This must be in line with Paine’s tactical considerations, because the captain is well placed to have a word.

8.35am GMT

133rd over: Australia 362-6 (Paine 25, Cummins 20) Raval to Cummins, and the go-slow continues for another over. There’s a late single to midwicket. Paine hasn’t had much of the strike for the last ten or so overs, and hasn’t done much scoring.

8.33am GMT

132nd over: Australia 361-6 (Paine 25, Cummins 19) Santner bowling left-arm spin around the wicket to the right-handers, with a couple of catching covers waiting for Cummins to try a drive. Or to force him to try something else. Santner makes it easy though with a drag-down that Cummins can swivel and pull for two. When Santner pitches up Cummins drives hard into the ground and bounces it over short cover, but the sweeper is able to get around in the deep and keep the scoring to one.

8.29am GMT

131st over: Australia 358-6 (Paine 25, Cummins 16) A big turner from Raval to start the over to Paine, who leaves it well alone, but when Raval drops shorter Paine cuts hard to the cover sweeper for one. Cummins defends a length ball, then gets one dipping right into the blockhole. Eventually he plays an off-drive for one, wide of mid-off.

8.24am GMT

130th over: Australia 356-6 (Paine 24, Cummins 15) Short from Santner, cut away by Cummins for four! Not in control, that comes off a thick top edge and skirts the backward point fielder on its way to the rope. But runs go in the batsman’s column.

8.23am GMT

129th over: Australia 352-6 (Paine 24, Cummins 11) And another Raval over for only a single, which included a big cut shot from Cummins that missed everything and had Watling throwing his head back. The double spin approach is keeping things quiet.

8.21am GMT

128th over: Australia 351-6 (Paine 24, Cummins 10) Just a single from that Santner over as the squeeze continues. Cummins into double figures.

8.19am GMT

127th over: Australia 350-6 (Paine 24, Cummins 9) Another tidy over from Raval, who has done a job for New Zealand since he came on. Two singles late in the piece. Australia have the brakes well and truly on. Are they just playing a patience game, keeping New Zealand in the heat?

8.13am GMT

126th over: Australia 348-6 (Paine 23, Cummins 8) Serious bounce and a bit of turn for Santner, but he pitches too short of Cummins to threaten the edge as the ball leaps into Watling’s gloves. Fuller and Cummins flicks awkwardly across the line. Can’t score. It’s another maiden.

8.11am GMT

125th over: Australia 348-6 (Paine 23, Cummins 8) Jeet Raval carries on to Paine, who drives a couple through cover but can’t cash in on a subsequent full toss. It’s slow going for Australia – if they had been a bit brisker then they might have gone past 400 and declared this evening, but New Zealand have bowled well and kept the lid at least partway on.

8.08am GMT

124th over: Australia 346-6 (Paine 21, Cummins 8) Wagner uses a more measured length to Cummins through this over, just back of a length for the most part, trying to draw a false defensive shot. Cummins is equal to the task. Wagner must be flagging out there by now, he’s bowled 35 overs of fast attacking bowling in this heat. Adds his seventh maiden over.

8.04am GMT

123rd over: Australia 346-6 (Paine 21, Cummins 8) Some useful bounce now for Raval, beating Paine’s top edge as the Aussie keeper tries to cut, then taking that edge and back-spinning to backward point, who denies a run. Flight and dip on middle stump now and Paine defends. Raval bowls too short after that, but Paine is sufficiently spooked to leave it alone outside off.

8.01am GMT

122nd over: Australia 346-6 (Paine 21, Cummins 8) Wagner dipping short as ever, and Paine is happy to take him on for another single after Cummins slides a run away behind point. The bowler immediately changes to bowl full to Cummins, and there’s a bit of snake in the air as Cummins gets across his pad to cover.

7.57am GMT

121st over: Australia 344-6 (Paine 20, Cummins 7) Jeet Raval is dropping the ball nicely, right in the blockhole against Cummins, then drawing back the length a bit, drawing defensive prods across the front pad. Eventually Cummins can’t help striking at one, driving towards mid-on, but he almost lofts a catch to that man. Gets a single.

7.55am GMT

120th over: Australia 342-6 (Paine 19, Cummins 6) Wagner gets a full set of short balls in at Cummins, but Cummins doesn’t mind too much. He’ll get to repay that with interest when he bowls. A maiden.

7.51am GMT

119th over: Australia 342-6 (Paine 19, Cummins 6) Jeet Raval will keep bowling – Williamson must have liked what he saw before the break. He’s gota strange grip on the ball, almost side on, his hand bent over by his wrist. But he lands them pretty nicely, and gets one to hop at Cummins which could easily have been gloved up for a catch. It keeps the strike for Cummins instead.

7.46am GMT

118th over: Australia 340-6 (Paine 18, Cummins 5) If you needed more of a sense of Neil Wagner’s character, he just prepared for his post-break spell by doing a few push-ups at the top of his bowling mark. It’s 40 degrees mate. Take a spell. He starts with... guess what? A short ball. And another. Paine decides to take that one on, pulling two runs through midwicket. Adds another behind square. I’m going 82 runs early, but Paine has made both of his first-class tons in Western Australia. Maybe his first Test one will be here too.

7.08am GMT

New Zealand are still just hanging on, but only just. They’ve kept taking wickets, two more in this session, and important ones. But Paine and Cummins are perfectly capable of adding runs, and if the score gets much above 360 then Australia will be very hard to pull back in this match. A break from the heat, then more bowling and batting shortly. Maybe even some fielding.

7.05am GMT

117th over: Australia 337-6 (Paine 15, Cummins 5) You know it’s the 117th over when Jeet Raval is bowling. Leg-spin of sorts. Putting a few... Ravalutions on the ball? Shreds one past the edge of Cummins’ bat. The Australian pair take a couple of dashes singles, including one that nearly catches Cummins out of his ground, but he dives in and also does a cool Rabona sort of move with his back legs coming in in scorpion style. Sick. That’s dinner or lunch or whatever we call it.

7.00am GMT

116th over: Australia 334-6 (Paine 13, Cummins 4) Santner bowling with width, and Paine drives a single through cover before Cummins plays a better version of the same shot for four.

6.58am GMT

115th over: Australia 329-6 (Paine 12, Cummins 0) Another demand on Williamson to consider a review, as the last ball of Southee’s over seams in at Cummins and beats the inside edge on the way to Watling behind the stumps. The keeper and captain were appealing hard but the bowler didn’t think it was out, and was right because the ball hit Cummins on the trouser pocket rather than his bat. Before that Paine got into double figures with a square drive.

6.52am GMT

114th over: Australia 326-6 (Paine 9, Cummins 0) New Zealand lose a review after Santner hits Paine on the pad with a ball sliding on, from a left-arm line around the wicket. The review shows it hitting just outside the line of the stumps. Which remains probably the stupidest rule in cricket. Who cares where it’s hitting the pads as long it’s hitting the stumps?

6.48am GMT

113th over: Australia 325-6 (Paine 8, Cummins 0) A wicket maiden for Southee, as Pat Cummins is next at the crease. Plays a nice off-drive first ball, but straight to the field.

6.45am GMT

Ok, hands up – who foresaw Travis Head getting out playing a loose slap outside off stump? Come on, be honest. That’s right, nobody. How could you possibly? Travis Head goes full Travis Head, getting a wide half-volley from Southee, not moving his feet to the ball, hurling an angled bat at it while in a half crouch, and slugging it straight at short cover in the air. Goneski.

6.42am GMT

112th over: Australia 325-5 (Head 56, Paine 8) Santner releases the pressure valve once again, this time for Paine. Floats up an easy half-volley and Paine can throw a cover drive through the line of that for four, then adds a single in the same direction.

6.39am GMT

111th over: Australia 319-5 (Head 55, Paine 3) Southee is back on, and still bowling a tight line with a bit of movement from around the wicket to the left-hander. But when there’s a bit of width Head throws his hands through the ball, and while Jeet Raval makes good ground behind point, his sliding save ricochets off his body and along the rope for an eventual four.

6.34am GMT

110th over: Australia 315-5 (Head 51, Paine 3) Mitchell Santner comes on to bowl, the first over of spin for the day, and he starts it with a hot pie. Sitting up outside leg stump, and guess what, Travis Head can hit those. Sweeps it fine for four, and his milestone. Then cuts a short ball for one.

6.30am GMT

109th over: Australia 310-5 (Head 46, Paine 3) Another maiden for de Grandhomme to Paine, who survives a big shout when the ball would have been going over his stumps. A grasshopper flies onto the pitch and distracts Paine for a while. It’s wild out in the West.

6.26am GMT

108th over: Australia 310-5 (Head 46, Paine 3) Travis Head, the Loosest Man Alive. He nails a pull shot against Wagner for four, which Aleem Dar at square leg has to jump over and which nearly whacks him in the Jatz. But then Head keeps stepping across to try to glance Wagner to fine leg. Wagner is still coming around the wicket and bowling at the hip. Head keeps ending up outside off stump, threatening to glove those down leg side. There’s also a leg slip in place if he hits one. But he’ll just keep doing it, because he’s Travis Head: TLMA.

6.22am GMT

107th over: Australia 306-5 (Head 42, Paine 3) A couple of runs for Paine, who has been on 1 for a long time, as de Grandhomme bowls too straight. Clipped away. Colin gets back on line immediately, five times around the off stump for Paine to decide whether to block or leave.

6.18am GMT

106th over: Australia 304-5 (Head 42, Paine 1) A maiden from Wagner, who takes Head’s name as an inspiration in what to aim for. The fire I mentioned earlier is a scrub fire at Belmont racecourse, and the footage on the TV just looks like a bunch of small palm trees burning. It’s all a bit Miami Vice. Anyway, it’s being put out so apparently all is well. In this very specific instance.

6.14am GMT

105th over: Australia 304-5 (Head 42, Paine 1) Travis Head continues to be a mystery. He is probably the loosest specialist batsman I’ve ever seen, and yet he consistently makes runs. While looking like he should get out at any minute the entire time. Same again, as he swishes and misses at de Grandhomme outside off, then runs a ball straight to Nicholls at cover point and tries to take a run. Paine refuses, rightly, and Head is out of his ground as Nicholls’ throw misses the stumps and gives him an overthrow.

6.10am GMT

104th over: Australia 303-5 (Head 41, Paine 1) Back underway, and Wagner is carrying on with his left-arm line around the wicket to the left-handed Travis Head, using a sharp angle into the batsman to bounce him. Interesting move, giving Head no room to play really with an accurate line. Then when Paine comes on strike Wagner goes over the wicket and bowls full, presumably looking for a leg-before chance.

6.03am GMT

103rd over: Australia 302-5 (Head 40, Paine 1) So it’s back to consolidation time, with Paine facing out a maiden from de Grandhomme. New Zealand still a chance to hold Australia to something attainable if they can get through the second half of the batting order for 50 or 60. Drinks break.

6.00am GMT

102nd over: Australia 302-5 (Head 40, Paine 1) Nearly two in the over for Wagner, who has Head fending just wide of short leg. Tim Paine is at the crease, just his second bat for the summer.

5.57am GMT

Oh dear! It’s always such a surprise these days when Marnus gets out. He looks immovable but Wagner has got the breakthrough! He has worked so hard through both days of this Test match, and finally he gets his reward. Strange dismissal, left-arm around the wicket and angling in to Labuschagne, who steps across and tries to flick it to the leg side. But he misses and has stepped so far across that he exposes leg stump, and Wagner clips it. Perhaps some swing into the right-hander? Wagner is delighted. It’s hard not to love his cricket.

5.53am GMT

101st over: Australia 298-4 (Labuschagne 141, Head 39) Hard work for bowlers on the second day, and de Grandhomme isn’t his first-day self. Gets a bit straight on a couple of occasions, and twice Marnus takes him away through midwicket, once to the boundary and once for two.

5.47am GMT

100th over: Australia 292-4 (Labuschagne 135, Head 39) Wagner has now gone full short ball. Marnus doesn’t mind, pulling for a brace and then a one. Head is content to duck against a leg-stump line.

5.46am GMT

99th over: Australia 289-4 (Labuschagne 132, Head 39) Southee is done with his spell and runs off for a Zooper Dooper, and de Grandhomme replaces him. He’s on the money first up, testing length and a bit of shape to Head. But he’s too full with the next two. Williamson saves the first, diving at mid-off to field at full length, so Head drives straighter next time, inside that line and down the ground for four.

5.37am GMT

98th over: Australia 285-4 (Labuschagne 132, Head 35) Wagner tries a short ball but goes way down leg side. He’s probably pretty sore and tired after yesterday, bowled three long spells in the heat. Then he has a slip from the hand while trying to bowl a slower ball and Labuschagne hits the full toss straight down the ground for four.

5.32am GMT

97th over: Australia 279-4 (Labuschagne 127, Head 34) So there’s a fire burning behind Optus Stadium now. That’s good. That’s great. Everything is fine in Australia in summer, no problems here at all. It looks a fairly minor fire but there’s a big plume of smoke coming off it. Southee bowls too full to Marnus, who drives it dead straight down the ground for four. That’s classy. Then Head gets width and carves it behind point, his absolute pet shot. Runs flowing, 11 from the over. Well and truly Australia’s morning.

5.27am GMT

96th over: Australia 268-4 (Labuschagne 121, Head 29) Wagner coming in to Labuschagne, and bowls a snorter! Terrific short ball, up at the throat and Marnus coming forward is startled by it, flinching and getting gloves up to it. If NZ had a bat-pad on the off side then that would have been a simple catch. Not to be. Another short ball doesn’t get up and Labuschagne pulls uncertainly for a slow single. Head flicks off his pads, but Latham at a deep bat pad on the leg side makes a fine stop.

5.25am GMT

95th over: Australia 267-4 (Labuschagne 120, Head 29) Southee gives up a pie to Head, glanced through fine leg for four. But everything outside off has Head looking a little shaky, as is his wont, and he gets a thick leading edge at one stage towards point.

5.24am GMT

94th over: Australia 263-4 (Labuschagne 120, Head 25) A leg gully in for Labuschagne now, a la Smith yesterday, though Marnus plays far more off-side than Smith. For all the talk of their similarities it’s much more in terms of mannerism than in terms of actual technique or scoring. New Zealand tried to get Marnus with a wide line outside off yesterday, drawing him into a nick, and he nearly did nick on a few occasions. Today he stabs a single to that leg gully region, then Wagner tries a couple of short balls to Head and is nearly rewarded with a glove behind.

5.13am GMT

93rd over: Australia 261-4 (Labuschagne 119, Head 24) Nice shape for Southee again, under hot sun on this green-tinged pitch. The ball stayed in great nick yesterday, always giving the bowlers a little. It’s Southee rather than Wagner who reaches first for the bouncer, but Marnus hooks off his eyebrows for a single. He looks very comfortable playing that shot, it’s one of his strengths. Southee comes around the wicket to the left-handed Head, angling and then swinging the ball in sharply at off stump, close to the ball that bowled Wade last night. Head plays it though, and blocks it. Then forces away three runs through point. Labuschagne likes the intent and cover drives for four! Too full and dealt with. Then drives another run wide of mid-on.

5.08am GMT

92nd over: Australia 252-4 (Labuschagne 113, Head 21) Lockie Ferguson is down by the side of the field in a moon boot. It does make you wonder about the endless debate around injury substitutes in Test matches, rather than just concussion subs. But it’s such a complicated issue that it never seems to get anywhere. Wagner starts his bowling day by going full, not going to waste the new ball. Head drives a single, Marnus steers three runs behind point.

5.06am GMT

91st over: Australia 248-4 (Labuschagne 110, Head 20) Southee kicks off with a maiden. The ball is swinging for him, but he’s just a bit wide of the off stump to Marnus, who leaves most of the over alone.

4.39am GMT

Strewth, cobbers. Time for another fair dinkum true blue session of dinky-di Test cricket from rolled gold Perth Stadium. Hear the serried banks of sandgropers chanting “Labuschagne! Labuschagne!” Are sandgropers the Western Australian ones? I can never remember. It sounds fairly indecent in any case. Keep that behaviour off our beaches. Never mind. They’re Labuschagne freaks over there. Everyone is. The whole country has converted. Peeling off three tons on the trot will do that. Bradman did it a couple of times, Fingleton four. That’s it for Australians. Alan Melville and Rahul Dravid also did four, and Everton Weekes did five. Watch this space.

As for today though, he’s going to try to turn a ton into a big ton. Did it in Brisbane, could go again here. New Zealand bowled really well yesterday though. Swing most of the day. Bowled the short ball well when the day wore on. Got a new ball late last night. They’re a bowler down though, Ferguson will not bowl again. Huge blow, huge workload ahead for the rest. Lucky they have the all-rounder de Grandhomme, but he’s coming off an injury break as well.

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