SYDNEY - New Zealand paceman Iain O'Brien hauled back a flying New South Wales start with two quick wickets before lunch on day two of the cricket tour match here today.
O'Brien removed teenage opener Phillip Hughes for 64 and No 3 Peter Forrest for 26 in thespace of 14 deliveries as the hosts went to lunch at 103 for three in reply to New Zealand's first innings of 266.
It was otherwise hard toil for New Zealand's five bowlers on a lifeless Sydney Cricket Ground pitch, not helped by two dropped catches behind the wicket.
Senior paceman Chris Martin, in his first match of the new season after missing the Bangladesh tour with a hamstring strain, struck with the fifth ball of the day after NSW resumed on 15 without loss.
He angled a delivery across opener Usman Khawaja who edged to a diving wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum on five.
Left-hander Hughes, tipped as a future test opener, hit 10 boundaries in his 88-ball innings and was given a reprieve on 35 when Aaron Redmond dropped a catchable chance at second slip off Tim Southee's bowling.
O'Brien removed him to a loose drive and a bottom edge to McCullum.
Forrest was dropped on five, a tough chance for Daniel Flynn at gully off Kyle Mills' bowling, but his luck ran out when he drove at O'Brien and edged a simple catch to Ross Taylor at gully in the final over before lunch.
O'Brien had figures of two for 22 off 6.3 overs at the interval, while Martin had one for 14 off six.
Captain Daniel Vettori bowled six wicketless overs for 15 runs and had a confident leg before wicket shout against allrounder Moises Henriques turned down by umpire Paul Reiffel, the former Australian test seamer.
New Zealand played the morning session without batsman Jesse Ryder who was quarantined at the team hotel after suffering a mystery illness which saw him unable to keep food down.
He had a second doctor's visit in two days and team management said his condition had improved slightly.
