Cricket: Black Caps so nearly Adam

We've almost come to take it for granted now but Adam Gilchrist's six sixes in his century yesterday rose his game from extraordinary to a superlative that has not yet been invented.

For a while the New Zealand seam attack seemed to be, like the emperor, wearing new clothes.

Then Gilchrist and Simon Katich exposed their collective nudity.

Gilchrist was brilliant. The small but enthusiastic crowd appreciated that, too, giving him a standing ovation as he left the oval. There was some surprise he didn't acknowledge it.

"I'll often think about that later on," Gilchrist said. "A few times I've done that and [thought] I should acknowledge the crowd. I'm not sure what you do there, whether you're acknowledging the crowd or they're saying thank you to you. All it was was pure disappointment because we had the momentum so much there and I felt like I'd opened the door again."

As much as Gilchrist and Katich were fantastic, one of Chris Martin, James Franklin and Iain O'Brien needs to offer more than cursory support to Daniel Vettori, who took his 12th bag of five in tests.

Katich, who has secured Darren Lehmann's spot, scored his second test century and his highest test score but was denied the chance to celebrate in style as a streaker took centre stage. An equally determined security guard met the streaker.

"It was one of the biggest tackles I've seen," Katich said, referring of course to the hit put on by security. "It was a good sound, too - it was fleshy. Which I guess you've got to expect when you're naked," he joked. Unfortunately for the streaker, he was reportedly taken to hospital with suspected broken ribs.

Meanwhile Gilchrist just carried on his love affair with New Zealand attacks on his way to a 14th ton.

He now has three centuries from just 13 innings against New Zealand and bats with an average of 63.72. About the only thing that looked like stopping him was a case of cramp after he took another six off Vettori. The next time he fell just short with O'Brien taking an excellent running catch on the boundary, breaking a stand of 212.

If there's one thing sure to make a skipper peevish, it's the failure to remove a night-watchman early.

Gillespie, who is more peasant farmer than aristocrat at the crease, is making a habit of frustrating New Zealand attacks and yesterday he toiled for close to two hours before Vettori coaxed an inside edge.

Before him both Ponting and Michael Clarke perished to excellent pieces of bowling.

Chris Martin, who has probably never bowled more than a few outswingers in his career, suddenly found the ball reversing. He set the Australian captain up with a trademark in-ducker before getting the next one to shape away and take the edge.

Soon after James Franklin angled one across Clarke and McCullum accepted the nick.

By lunch on the third day New Zealand could genuinely claim to have had the better of six of the seven sessions played but Australia can swing a game in one session ... and normally do. Especially if Adam Gilchrist is involved.

He had a fascinating duel with Vettori, who was trying to get one to go out of the bowlers' footmarks. Gilchrist was equally determined to have Vettori pitch short of them by using his feet whenever possible.

Twice he came down the pitch in Vettori's 24th over and banged him over cow corner. He did it again in the 25th. And the 28th.

At the other end Katich was displaying the equanimity for which he has become renowned. He cruised to 50, got a little becalmed after lunch, before a swotted half chance past James Franklin seemed to kick-start his innings once more.

"To get us out of a bit of strife early on, it was nice to be a part of that," he said. Two tests ago he was dismissed for 99 at Nagpur. While he didn't look like going out today, he said the figure was playing on his mind reached the 90s.

"It doesn't seem that long ago so I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible."