Cricket: Black Caps still have series to play for

Kane Williamson fields during day four of the second test match between Australia and New Zealand at WACA in Perth. Photo / Getty

Barring a final day batting catastrophe, New Zealand will head to the third and final test against Australia still with the series to play for.

The Waca highway has been the winner over four days when bowlers sweated and batsmen prospered.

To conceive of New Zealand tumbling at the last is a stretch. Then again, they do have form for losing their way, often spectacularly.

But they have worked so hard, notably through Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson, to reassert themselves after a depressing first day, that they cannot drop the ball now.

Equally, Australia's skipper Steve Smith is hardly likely to hand New Zealand a free pass for a final afternoon chase. So expect some wariness and New Zealand setting their sights on Adelaide Oval and the pink ball test.

Taylor dominated the fourth morning, en route to his wonderful 290, being last man out 13 shy of overtaking captain Brendon McCullum's New Zealand record.

It was a monument to concentration, technique and skill and even if the bowlers would rather rip the Waca pitch up for all the help it gave them, Taylor still had to work hard.

He left to a standing ovation, richly deserved, and the accolade of having made more runs in a test innings in Australia than any other visiting batsman.

New Zealand also took a small psychological edge, with a 65-run first innings lead.
Just briefly, there was a glimmer of hope.

It was an unexpected as snow on Christmas Day in Perth.

When Tim Southee and Trent Boult winkled out openers Joe Burns and David Warner, and Australia still 19 behind overall, and Usman Khawaja unable to bat with a hamstring injury, New Zealand could dare to dream.

Smith arrived and rocketed two drives off Southee through the covers to get off the mark and stopped those thoughts in their tracks.

He had a sound ally in Adam Voges and by tea, Australia were 128 for two, 63 ahead and normal transmission had resumed.

Among the issues to have dogged this test are the state of the match balls.

By tea yesterday, the changes had reached double figures and Cricket Australia had confirmed an investigation was under way.

The balls are going back to manufacturers Kookaburra for assessment.

Odd this, considering all thee consternation in the last few weeks has been about balls of a different colour.

The pink ball has Australia's players fretting, and that's another reason why New Zealand will approach Adelaide with high anticipation.

Their approach has been positive, or at least not negative, about the ball. The Aussies see it differently.

They might need to get used to it; the word is Pakistan's test at the same ground next summer may also go pink.

As for Australia, they may be seeing the last of their fine left arm quick Mitchell Johnson.

He's not even raged against the dying of the light. Having spoken before the test about how each game might be his last, 34-year-old Johnson bowled like a drain at the Waca.

His body language told an eloquent story, and unless he produces his old fire and brimstone today - fat chance on the evidence thus far -- this might be the end of the road for Australia's fourth most successful test bowler.