Cricket: Gilchrist plunders as test hangs in balance

Australia's Simon Katich plays the ball off the bowling of New Zealand Black Caps Daniel Vettori. Picture / Fotopress

Adam Gilchrist, the backyard scrapper most feared by New Zealand, came back to bully them again today to send the first cricket test into a nailbiting final two days.


Gilchrist smashed 121 off 126 balls, including 12 fours and six sixes, to lift Australia from strife to a total of 432, just one run adrift of New Zealand's first innings of 433.


At stumps on day three, the home side had survived six overs to be nine without loss, with 180 overs left for a result on a pitch still in good nick.


Gilchrist and fellow century-maker Simon Katich got Australia out of jail as they teetered at 201 for six, still 33 short of avoiding the follow-on, just before lunch.


They added 212 for the seventh wicket in 183 minutes, just five short of Australia's seventh wicket record stand against New Zealand of 217 by Doug Walters and Gary Gilmour on the same ground in 1976-77.


Katich, playing his 14th test, scored his second century -- 118 in 273 minutes off 229 balls -- before he hit a catch to cover off part-timer Nathan Astle.


Spinner Daniel Vettori again led the way for New Zealand after being flayed for five sixes by Gilchrist, ending with his 12th bag of five wickets and figures of five for 106 off 40.2 overs to move within seven of the 200 test wicket mark.


"There were times when Gilchrist got on top, but even though balls were disappearing into the stand occasionally I didn't think they were bad balls," Vettori said.


"You saw today how devastating he is. Four men back and he was still clearing the ropes pretty easily.


"His ability to score quickly and with good batsmanship sets him apart from most batsmen. I think we witnessed a pretty special innings today."


New Zealand had a rare sniff of a stranglehold over the world champions when captain Ricky Ponting and rising star Michael Clarke departed within three overs of each other early today as the tourists slumped to 160 for five.


Resuming on 141 for three, Ponting was out in the day's sixth over when Chris Martin nipped one away and he edged to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum for 46.


Clarke departed for eight in the same fashion to James Franklin three overs later and it was near panic stations in the tour camp.


Nightwatchman Jason Gillespie scored 12 in 108 minutes but when Vettori removed him to a bat pad catch it was 201 for six.


Katich was on 32 when Gilchrist joined him but he caught up fast, hitting Vettori four times into the new Western Stand and racing to 50 off 52 balls.


The pair plundered 133 off 30 overs in the middle session as the New Zealand pacemen tired, and Katich pulled away again to reach his century off 172 balls.


Gilchrist reached his third test century against New Zealand and 14th overall off 105 balls.


Vettori finally separated them in the 114th over of the innings when Gilchrist tried for his seventh six but was caught on the long-off boundary by debutante Iain O'Brien.


Gilchrist walked off without acknowledging the crowd's applause, saying later he was annoyed not to guide them to a first innings lead.


"It's just pure disappointment. We had the momentum so much there and I felt like I'd opened the door again," Gilchrist said.


"Not that New Zealand were out of it, but the momentum was ours."


Katich followed five runs later at 418 when he hit a soft catch to cover off Astle, then Vettori mopped up the tail as Glenn McGrath notched his 30th test duck, equal with teammate Shane Warne.


* Scoreboard after the third day of the first cricket test between New Zealand and Australia at Jade Stadium today.


New Zealand


First innings 433


Second innings

C Cumming not out 2
S Fleming not out 7
Extras 0
Total (for 0 wkts, 6 overs) 9


Bowling: G McGrath 2-1-2-0, J Gillespie 2-0-6-0, M Kasprowicz 1-1-0-0, S Warne 1-0-1-0.


Australia


First innings (141-3 overnight)
J Langer b Franklin 23
M Hayden c Astle b O'Brien 35
R Ponting c McCullum b Martin 46
D Martyn lbw b Vettori 32
J Gillespie c Cumming b Vettori 12
M Clarke c McCullum b Franklin 8
S Katich c Vincent b Astle 118
A Gilchrist c O'Brien b Vettori 121
S Warne c Astle b Vettori 2
M Kasprowicz not out 13
G McGrath lbw b Vettori 0
Extras (2b, 13lb, 4nb, 3w) 22


Total (123.2 overs) 432


Fall: 48 (Langer), 75 (Hayden), 140 (Martyn), 147 (Ponting), 160 (Clarke), 201 (Gillespie), 413 (Gilchrist), 418 (Katich), 426 (Warne), 432 (McGrath).


Bowling: C Martin 29-6-104-1 (1nb, 1w), J Franklin 26-5-102-2 (2nb), I O'Brien 14-3-73-1 (1nb, 2w), D Vettori 40.2-13-106-5, N Astle 14-6-32-1.


- NZPA