Cricket: It's dismal - pitiful batting and dropped catches

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An hour after New Zealand's dismal capitulation at the Gabba yesterday, New Zealand coach John Wright trudged a lone path across the outfield.

A dollar for his thoughts, then, having watched his team lose to Australia with more than four sessions not required in the first test.

Australia won by nine wickets, having dismissed New Zealand for just 150 - nine wickets for 140 in 42.4 overs in the day - and perhaps it was appropriate that a fourth catch went down, by Brendon McCullum at second slip, as Australia made the 19 runs they needed to enhance their formidable test record in Brisbane.

New Zealand lost this test in increments: the batting in the first two hours of the opening day, having won the toss; Doug Bracewell's calamitous no ball with which he bowled Australian centurymaker Michael Clarke at 23 on the second afternoon; three dropped catches on the third afternoon; and rounded off by a pitiful batting collapse yesterday morning.

Australia's record at the Gabba is now 17 wins, no losses in the last 23 tests, going back to 1988. That record was put in place by a succession of great Australian sides.

This one is not, but they had boundless enthusiasm, epitomised by debutant James Pattinson, charging in at 145km/h and above, and having five for seven at one point yesterday.

The performance was anchored by old hands Clarke, Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin with the bat.

New Zealand had talked a confident game going into the test, but failed to match intention and self-belief with hard performance.

Clarke was unwilling to put the boot in, reiterating his view that the Gabba is a hard ground for batsmen to get "in".

His counterpart, Ross Taylor, pointed to too many "soft" dismissals.

"To be honest, Australia didn't have to work that hard for their wickets," he admitted.

Wright prided himself on valuing his wicket highly during his 82-test career. He may not say so publicly, but privately he would have been dismayed by what he saw yesterday.

The manner of those early dismissals also told a story.

Martin Guptill fended a lifting ball to short leg; Kane Williamson, Taylor and nightwatchman Doug Bracewell all edged away swingers to the catching cordon behind the slips.

Pattinson had three wickets in four balls - and came desperately close to a hat-trick when Jesse Ryder was completely beaten first ball.

He was sharp, but several dismissals suggested batsmen didn't know precisely where their off stump was.

From 28 for five, there was no coming back.

Ryder was in, had got to 36 off 37 balls, then lobbed offspinner Nathan Lyon's second delivery of the day straight to deep mid-off. Where was the consideration of the situation?

Three New Zealand players emerged from this test with credit - Dean Brownlie, Dan Vettori and Chris Martin.

Bracewell bowled impressively on the third day, and without luck, but his part in New Zealand's downfall happened the previous afternoon.

Brownlie and Vettori put on 52 yesterday before departing either side of the lunch break and that was effectively that.

Brownlie, Perth-born and raised, was the most comfortable batsman in the bouncier conditions and spent just over six hours at the crease over the test.

Vettori has seen this sort of carry- on more often than he'd care to remember.

Martin's bowling was strong and his reward was four wickets.

It's naughty boy nets for New Zealand this morning.

Taylor talked positively last night about the chance to square the series in Hobart when the second test starts on Friday.

Right now, that's a pipedream.