Lynn McConnell
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2nd Orange Test: Australia v New Zealand at Hobart, 22-26 Nov 2001 Lynn McConnell |
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Captain Stephen Fleming was leading from the front with a grafting display which had him 70 not out when the rains came while the pugnacious Craig McMillan was zeroing in on another Test half century on 46 not out.
Fleming looked determined to minimise the bogey that has surrounded him between 50 and 100 and while still having hard work to do, he has a great chance to score his third Test century.
The new ball was not taken immediately by the Australians as Brett Lee was bowling especially well with the old ball, in tandem with Shane Warne.
Although in his last over before the rain break, Lee conceded two boundaries to McMillan, one cover driven and one off his legs behind square, to suggest that he had safely negotiated the trial Lee had put him through. Some of Lee's yorkers had McMillan scrambling to keep them out but he managed to get the bat down while keeping his feet from being damaged.
Once Gillespie took the new ball, after 83 overs, and bowled only one ball in the gathering gloom before the rain swept in forcing the players from the field.
Lee has now bowled 18 overs in the innings for 45 runs while Warne has one for 70 from 24 overs.
Glenn McGrath had a long wait before having his first bowl of the day but was as tight as ever and from 17 overs he has conceded 17 runs.
Australia really need to make a quick breakthrough when play resumes, if it does at all today, while with a minimum of 105 on tomorrow's last day there is still the opportunity to embarrass the New Zealanders to ensure the Test does not go down to a decider in Perth.
After an elongated morning session lasting two and a half hours, New Zealand went to lunch on 153/4, still 206 runs from avoiding the follow on.
The Kiwi hopes of launching an assault at the target were immediately hamstrung by replacement umpire John Smeaton's decision to give Mark Richardson out leg before wicket to Jason Gillespie, after Richardson had hit the ball.
Richardson was on 30 at the time and only five runs had been added to the overnight score.
It was a severe body blow for the New Zealanders and the damage done was compounded by the unforced dismissal of strokemaker Nathan Astle, who has been one of the key players on the tour.
Astle departed, after playing some attacking shots, to the second ball bowled by Mark Waugh. He edged a low chance to slip where Shane Warne picked the ball up at grass top level to remove Astle for 11 with the score 3/76.
Brett Lee came into the attack and tempted Craig McMillan to repeat his first Test dismissal at Lee's expense, with a succession of deliveries outside the off stump. It became almost a war of attrition, as had the clash between the battle between Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming and Warne.
Knowing that Fleming has struggled against Warne in the past, Steve Waugh gave him every opportunity in two spells to bowl.
The problems Fleming had were never more obvious than when he was stranded on 49 for 28 minutes before finally bringing up his 32nd half century in Tests.
Of the other Australian bowlers Gillespie was effective first thing and had two for 28 while Glenn McGrath had to wait until 40 minutes before lunch until he had his first bowl of the day.
Just over an hour into the session, New Zealand were struggling at 109/4 with captain Stephen Fleming on 32 and Craig McMillan on five.
Play started at the earlier time on a fine Hobart morning and it wasn't long before the Australians were reaping the benefits.
Firstly, Jason Gillespie, in the midst of another fine spell, had the benefit of the doubt go his way when replacement umpire John Smeaton answered his appeal for a leg before wicket decision against Mark Richardson in the affirmative.
The fact Richardson had a slight inside edge onto his bat did not impress the batsman who could feel hard done by, especially with only five runs having been added on the morning.
Nathan Astle came in and took up his attacking approach with four cut of leg-spinner Shane Warne but when Steve Waugh introduced twin brother Mark, it bore almost immediate impact when Astle edged a ball in the region of first slip where Warne swooped and picked up a fine catch.
New Zealand's 100 had just been posted. With 105 overs scheduled on each of the last two days, it is a tall order for the tourists to first reach 359 to avoid the follow on or, failing that, to avoid an innings defeat.
While conditions improved after the mid-afternoon storm that forced the players from the field with New Zealand 2/71 in reply to Australia's 9/558, with the sun even making an appearance at one stage, it started to rain again just before the umpires were to make a check of the drying of the ground at 5pm.
At that stage it was clear there would be no recovery of the ground in sufficient time for any more play.
Some of the time lost on the second and third days of the Test will be recovered with elongated days tomorrow and on the scheduled last day.
But the most obvious outcome of the Test, with more weather problems expected is another draw.
It had been a tough day for New Zealand in the time available although the two left-handers, Mark Richardson and Stephen Fleming were making a bold effort to blunt the superior Australian attack of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee, and leg-spinner Shane Warne.
While the players headed off before the rain fell, it was the potential danger from lightning strike that seemed to be foremost in the umpires' minds.
Not longer after they left the field the rain sheeted in suggesting a lengthy break to continue the effects of the weather on this series.
New Zealand's afternoon got off to the worst possible start when Mathew Sinclair was bowled from the first ball bowled, by Jason Gillespie, through the gate.
New Zealand had been 1/53 at the break with both Sinclair and opener Mark Richardson on 23 but Gillespie got the ball to jag back from outside off to the right-hander and Sinclair was comprehensively beaten and bowled.
Stephen Fleming joined Richardson at the crease and the two left-handers set about the recovery operation.
They resorted to grinding down the attack again as Gillespie maintained his impressive line and by the time the players left the field he had taken one for 18 from 11 overs while McGrath's improved control since the first Test was reflected in his 11 overs costing only 11 runs.
Brett Lee bowled impressively again, mustering some express pace in the mid-140km/hour area
In the 10 overs after lunch, Richardson had added only two runs while Fleming had reached 16 and was looking to build the big score that has so far eluded him against Australia.
Once the rain struck Bellerive Oval was very quickly awash and a lengthy delay is assured.
Play was delayed for 75 minutes due to the effects of overnight rain and brief showers this morning.
But once underway, it proved a cautious start by the New Zealanders with only one run in the first six overs.
Especially encouraging for Australia was the sight of Glenn McGrath charging in like the bowler of old as he put Matthew Bell, especially, through the griller with some fine bowling.
Just when it seemed the Kiwi openers had done all the hard work and set themselves for a better start, Bell got himself out, sweeping the second ball of Shane Warne's first over.
New Zealand had only 11 runs on the board, and they were nearly two wickets done when Sinclair, having taken successive twos off the first two balls he faced, was dropped off a hard chance to Steve Waugh from Warne's bowling.
However, Sinclair carried on and while never looking completely assured managed to get to 23 by lunch. Along the way he played some lovely shots, including a fine cover drive from Brett Lee and a sweep from Warne, both of which went for fours.
Richardson's reputation as a battler prepared to guts it out, and punish anything wayward, was enhanced in his approach, and he wasn't afraid to use his feet to get down the wicket to Warne. He will be a key player if New Zealand is to entertain any idea of reaching the follow on mark of 359.
Lee bowled some of his fastest balls of the summer and went close to removing Sinclair on more than one occasion but so far remains wicketless.
Glenn McGrath quickly slotted into a much more rhythmical run-up when compared to that he showed in the first Test at the Gabba and he proved much harder for the batsmen to get away. This looked more like the McGrath of old.
Only one run, to Richardson, was scored from the first six overs as Jason Gillespie joined in the bowling act to demand concentration from the batsmen.
However, once their confidence grew Richardson and Bell started to take the quick singles.
But with 11 runs on the board after 14 overs captain Steve Waugh brought Shane Warne into the attack and off only his second ball he had Bell out as he attempted to sweep the leg-spinner. He got a faint inside edge which ballooned into the air and was taken by wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist.
Bell had faced 47 balls for his four runs.
Mathew Sinclair came in, took two each from the first two balls he faced and was then dropped by Steve Waugh from the next ball, a difficult chance.
Sinclair was having a mixed time of it all but then in Brett Lee's second over he unleashed a fine back foot cover drive which produced a timely boundary, the first of the innings.
After 19 overs, New Zealand had reached 29/1 with Richardson 11 not out and Sinclair 13 not out.
Warne had one for 11 from three overs.
A pitch inspection has been scheduled for 11.30am Hobart time with a possible decision on a start time soon after that.
The Australian team, who will have their first crack at the New Zealand batsmen after they opted to take the bad light offered to them with nine overs left at the end of the second day, have been out on the field limbering up.
One participant who won't be on the field is Australian umpire Steve Davis. He injured his knee when having to jump over a locked gate to get out of Bellerive Oval at the end of the second day's play.
His place has been taken by the third umpire, Tasmanian John Smeaton while taking up the third umpire's duties is another local Barry Jackman.
New Zealand's immediate task is to reach 359, a huge order against the talented Australian attack, in order to beat the follow on requirement.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 26 Nov2001 - 03:15