Close Australia 75 for 2 (Langer 34*, Ponting 31) trail New Zealand 534 for 9 (Astle 156*, Parore 110, Fleming 105, Vincent 104) by 459 runs
Scorecard A fascinating day at Perth that was dominated almost from start to finish by New Zealand, ended with the unexpected sight of Australia under the cosh and an extended Kiwi slip cordon chirping happily.

Nathan Astle and Adam Parore added a record 253 for the eighth wicket and New Zealand, who would have settled for a score of 350 when they were 283 for 7 overnight, ended up declaring on a dreamy 534 for 9, the highest score by a touring team in Australia for almost nine years. As a bonus they grabbed two late wickets to leave Australia under pressure on 75 for 2, still 459 runs adrift. This definitely wasn't in the script.

After tearing through the middle order with the second new ball last night, Australia would have expected to roll over the tail quickly this morning. Instead Astle and Parore gutsed it out before lunch and flourished after it, with the run-rate increasing steadily all day: 70 runs in 30 overs in the morning; 102 in 29 in the afternoon; and 71 in 15 in the evening. Parore was dropped on 70 - a very sharp, low chance to Mark Waugh at slip off Shane Warne - but apart from that chances only came and went when the slog was on right at the end.

An increasingly exasperated Australian side tried everything they could to break the New Zealanders' concentration: Jason Gillespie flapped his arms like a seagull in his run-up, and Astle looked about as impressed as an Aussie who'd been served a warm beer as he slapped the short delivery brusquely over mid-on. And as well as bowling a couple of bouncers, Warne stuck his tongue out before one delivery to Astle.

But Astle and Parore wouldn't buckle, and they ensured that for only the second time in Test history four batsmen made centuries in an innings against Australia. While Astle, Parore, Lou Vincent and Stephen Fleming managed 475 runs between them, the other six batsmen mustered a mere 25. There can have been few more lopsided scorecards in Test history.

Parore is no mean No.9 - this was his second Test century and he has played 11 Tests as a specialist batsman - and he played superbly. He treated Warne with an almost Laxman-esque contempt, but whereas Laxman largely drove against the spin, Parore simply planted one leg down and played the slog-sweep time and time again. It was a tactic to which Warne had no answer.

The stand had to end eventually and after 72 barren overs, Australia picked up their first wicket of the day when Parore smacked a Brett Lee bouncer straight to Glenn McGrath at fine leg. He had made 110 and added 253 with Astle, the second-highest eighth-wicket partnership in Test history.

Shane Bond was needlessly sent in, but when Lee cleaned him up third ball Fleming promptly declared. Bond soon had a more meaningful impact on proceedings when he had Matthew Hayden, edging almost off the back of the bat as he looked to turn to leg, smartly taken by Vincent in the gully second ball for 0 (3 for 1). After partnerships of 158, 224 and 223, the Hayden-Justin Langer was certainly due a failure.

At that point any other side would have cut their losses and batted out the remaining 13 overs. Not Australia. Langer and Ricky Ponting quickly signalled their intent with a flurry of attacking shots, and the 50 partnership came up in eight overs. They certainly haven't written this one off.

Ponting played some rasping pulls and drives in a frisky 37-ball cameo of 31, but his desire to force the issue cost him when he edged a force at a short one from Chris Martin and was caught behind (61 for 2). New Zealand were pumped-up - excessively so at times, as there was a surfeit of four-balls - and Mark Waugh gloved his second ball just short of gully.

Though both sides will harbour hopes of victory, a draw looks likeliest from here. Australia should not be bowled out twice on what is a perfect pitch for batting once you get in, and no side has ever scored as many as New Zealand's 534 in the first innings of a Test that they have lost.

Before this series Australia's last 23 Tests had produced positive results, and not even the shadiest bookmaker would have predicted a 0-0 stalemate. But Steve Waugh, who hates any form of stalemate, will not be a happy man, because the unthinkable now looks distinctly possible.

Teams

Australia 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Justin Langer, 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Mark Waugh, 5 Steve Waugh (capt), 6 Damien Martyn, 7 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 8 Shane Warne, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Jason Gillespie, 11 Glenn McGrath

New Zealand 1 Mark Richardson, 2 Lou Vincent, 3 Mathew Sinclair, 4 Stephen Fleming (capt), 5 Nathan Astle, 6 Craig McMillan, 7 Chris Cairns, 8 Adam Parore (wk), 9 Daniel Vettori, 10 Shane Bond, 11 Chris Martin

Rob Smyth is on the staff of Wisden.com.

Blow by Blow How the day unfolded: the long version

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