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It's a top draw
Wisden CricInfo staff - November 30, 2001
This was Australia's first drawn Test series since the honours were shared 2-2 in West Indies in 1998-99. The last stalemate in Australia was against South Africa in 1993-94 (1-1), while Australia's last 0-0 result was as long ago as 1986-87, against India, in a series which did include a tie.
Steve Waugh's half-century was his first in the fourth innings of a Test. It was the 27th time he had batted in the fourth innings in the course of his 142 Test matches.
There have been only four higher fourth-innings totals to draw a Test. The list is headed by England's 654 for 5 in the ten-day "timeless" Test at Durban in 1938-39, which was drawn when England had to leave to catch the boat home.
Shane Warne became the 61st player, and the 18th Australian, to be dismissed for 99 in Tests. He is playing in his 95th match, and had he reached his debut century, he would have been the longest-serving player to do so. As it is, he'll have to wait that little bit longer.
Daniel Vettori picked up his seventh five-wicket haul in 34 Tests, and his fourth in eight matches against Australia.
New Zealand scored four centuries in an innings for the first time in their Test history. They had twice managed three in an innings (both v England) - at Lord's in 1973 (where Bev Congdon, Mark Burgess and Vic Pollard reached three figures) and at Auckland in 1983-84 (John Wright, Jeff Crowe and Ian Smith).
The last time Australia conceded four centuries in an innings was at Trent Bridge in 1938. The Test record is five in an innings, by Australia, against West Indies at Kingston in 1954-55, and Pakistan, against Bangladesh at Multan in 2001-02.
Lou Vincent became the sixth New Zealander, after John Mills, Bruce Taylor, Rodney Redmond, Mark Greatbatch and team-mate Mathew Sinclair, to score a century on Test debut. He is the first visiting player to score a debut century at the WACA (Greg Chappell and Wayne Phillips did it for Australia), and his score of 104 is the highest by an overseas opener since Chris Broad scored 162 in the opening match of the Ashes series in 1986-87.
After passing 50 on 34 occasions, Stephen Fleming finally reached his third Test century, in his 63rd Test. It was his first against Australia.
Nathan Astle, playing in his 49th match, scored his seventh and highest Test century, and his first against Australia. He has managed at least one century a year since making his debut against Zimbabwe in 1996.
Adam Parore scored his second Test century in his 73rd match. It was also his first against Australia.
Astle and Parore's partnership of 253 is the second-highest eighth-wicket stand in Test history, behind only Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq (313 against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura in 1996-97). It is also New Zealand's highest for any wicket against Australia, previously 229 for the fourth, between Bev Congdon and Brian Hastings at Wellington in 1973-74.
New Zealand passed 500 for only the second time in 41 Tests against Australia. The other occasion came in Hadlee's match, at Brisbane in 1985-86.
Before limping off the field with back spasms, Glenn McGrath joined Imran Khan at equal tenth on the list of alltime Test wicket-takers. His total of 362 wickets came in his 78th Test, ten fewer matches than Imran required.
Until surpassed by Astle and Parore, Fleming and Vincent's third-wicket partnership of 199 was a record for New Zealand at Perth. Their overall record for that wicket against Australia remains 224, by John Reid and Martin Crowe at Brisbane in 1985-86.
Ricky Ponting is playing in his 50th Test match.
© Wisden CricInfo Ltd
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