Australia’s Cameron Green and Josh Hazlewood shared a record 116-run partnership for the 10th wicket against New Zealand on the second day of the first test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Friday.
The pair batted through all of the first session and New Zealand had to take an extra half hour before finally breaking the highest 10th-wicket partnership for Australia against New Zealand.
New Zealand vs Australia | NZ vs AUS 1st Test, Day 2 – LIVE
The last wicket finally fell 20 minutes after lunch was scheduled when Hazlewood holed out to mid-off when he was 22. Green was left 174 not out and Australia was 383.
Hazlewood faced 62 balls and batted 148 minutes as he helped Green grind down New Zealand. Green stayed at the crease more than 6-1/2 hours and his innings included 23 fours and five sixes.
The 24-year-old reached his second test century in the last over before stumps on day one and resumed on 103 with Hazlewood yet to score and Australia 279-9 after being sent in.
It seemed a matter of course that New Zealand would end the Australian first innings and get on with its own before lunch. Instead, Green and Hazlewood batted on and on and on, passed 300 then 350 and New Zealand could do nothing to stop them.
The match which had seemed relatively closely balanced after day one now belongs Australia. The extra 104 runs that Green and Hazlewood added Friday have completely changed the outlook and when the New Zealand innings begins it will be on the back foot against the best attack in world cricket.
The credit for the Australian fightback belongs to Green whose place at No. 4 in the Australia order has been questioned.
He came to the crease when Marnus Labuschagne was out not long after lunch on Thursday and he has remained for more than six hours in batting conditions which were difficult at first.
Australia slumped to 89-4 and 156-5 but Green gave the lower order something to coalesce around and that helped the tourists reach 267-9 when Hazlewood came out to bat.
Thinking the Australian innings must be near its end, Green stepped up his scoring immediately before stumps and reached his century from the second to last ball of the day.
He carried on Friday past 114, his previous career-best total made against India at Ahmedabad in March, 2023. He reached 150 from 225 balls and his 50 run partnership with Hazlewood came from 64 balls, the 100 partnership from 133 deliveries.
The last wicket fell to Matt Henry who finished with 5-70 and was by far the best of the New Zealand bowlers. New Zealand lost almost all bowling discipline in the first session and conceded 41 runs from extras, including 20 wides and 12 byes.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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