Cricket: Ponting plunders NZ attack as Australia reach 143-2

Australian captain Ricky Ponting was racing towards a century as the tourists took charge of the third cricket test against New Zealand here today.

Australia reached the tea break on the second day on 143 for two, with Ponting blazing the New Zealand attack all over Eden Park to be 76 not out off 80 balls, with Damien Martyn on 16.

After dismissing New Zealand for 292 in their first innings just before the lunch break, Australia scored at 4.93 runs an over in the two-hour post-lunch session.

The only joy for New Zealand was the wickets of Justin Langer for six and Matthew Hayden for 38, both to left-arm paceman James Franklin.

Ponting cracked 10 fours and three sixes in his 112-minute innings, with all the sixes hooked into the South Stand.

The score moved along at one-day international pace, as Australia reached 82 for one after 15 overs and they passed 100 in the 20th over.

After Langer chopped a ball from Franklin on to his stumps, Ponting and Hayden added 76 for the second wicket in 60 minutes.

Hayden was given out leg before wicket by umpire Rudi Koertzen when the ball appeared to be heading down the leg side.

Franklin had figures of two for 49 off 10 overs, with spinners Daniel Vettori and Paul Wiseman both already introduced into the attack.

SCOREBOARD AT TEA

First innings (199-5 overnight)
C Cumming lbw b Gillespie 5
J Marshall c Hayden b McGrath 29
H Marshall c Ponting b Warne 76
S Fleming b Kasprowicz 65
N Astle c Langer b McGrath 19
L Vincent b Gillespie 2
B McCullum c Gilchrist b McGrath 25
D Vettori not out 41
J Franklin c Katich b Warne 3
P Wiseman c Gillespie b Warne 8
C Martin c Clarke b Kasprowicz 0
Extras (4b, 13lb, 2nb) 19
Total (116.2 overs) 292
Fall: 15 (Cumming), 53 (J Marshall), 179 (H Marshall), 183 (Fleming), 194 (Vincent), 228 (Astle), 247 (McCullum), 262 (Franklin), 288 (Wiseman), 292 (Martin).
Bowling: G McGrath 34-20-49-3, J Gillespie 25-8-64-2, M Kasprowicz 30.2-7-89-2 (1nb), S Warne 23-4-63-3 (1nb), R Ponting 4-1-10-0.

Australia

First innings
J Langer b Franklin 6
M Hayden lbw b Franklin 38
R Ponting not out 76
D Martyn not out 16
Extras (5lb, 2nb) 7
Total (for 2 wkts, 29 overs) 143
Fall: 8 (Langer), 84 (Hayden).
Bowling: C Martin 7-1-33-0, J Franklin 10-1-49-2 (2nb), N Astle 6-0-32-0, D Vettori 4-0-12-0, P Wiseman 2-0-12-0.
(Note: official scorers have changed Hamish Marshall's dismissal yesterday to caught, not lbw)

- NZPA