Cricket: The Black Caps' glimmer of hope

Trent Boult celebrates with Tom Latham after the pair combined to dismiss David Warner. Photo / Getty

For just a few minutes today, New Zealand had a glimmer of hope.

The Waca road had dominated the second test against Australia, but when Tim Southee and Trent Boult got two early wickets, and with Usman Khawaja out with a hamstring injury, the door was slightly ajar for New Zealand.

Courtesy of their highest total against Australia, 624, they had a useful 65-run first innings lead.

However by tea, captain Steve Smith and Adam Voges had readjusted the balance, Australia on 128 for two, and leaving overall by 63.

New Zealand's bowlers had been poor in the first test and laboured in the second in the Perth sweatbox on an unforgiving pitch.

But when Southee found the edge of Joe Burns bat, ending his honeymoon period in the series, and Boult had David Warner driving low to Tom Latham at cover, Australia were 46 for two.

However Smith is an assertive batsman and soon took charge, with Western Australian Voges his foil.

By the break, Smith had passed 50 off 57 balls, and was on 61 off 77 balls with nine fours, and Voges was on 43 with seven fours.

The first session of the day had belonged to Ross Taylor, whose 290 is the biggest score by a visiting player in Australia and the third top by a New Zealand batsman in a test.

The test has so far been an even stevens contest, bat thoroughly dominating the ball that it's hard to see a result coming out of the final four sessions. Australia lead the three-test series 1-0.

- By David Leggat in Perth