Josh Hazlewood has won over New Zealand fans on day 2 of the second Test, signing a piece of yellow sandpaper to cheers from the local fans at Hagley Oval.
Video / The ACCnz
A suddenly rampant New Zealand stand six wickets away from a ninth test victory over Australia.
After delivering another satisfying day in the second test at Hagley Oval, the Black Caps crept ever closer to earning that historic result, setting the tourists a challenging chase and immediately increasingthe difficulty.
Australia will begin day four on 77-4, still 202 runs from a target of 279. The world champions will remain hopeful, having completed a chase that high five times in the last 20 years, but far less confident than when their pursuit began.
New Zealand might have felt a little short in an otherwise excellent innings of 372. They might have felt in need of an inspirational performance in the manner of Shamar Joseph, whose 7-68 lifted the West Indies to a famous victory at the Gabba in January.
If that were the case, a hero required, two fast bowlers quickly announced their candidacy.
Following his own seven-wicket bag in the first innings, Matt Henry added two more late scalps, trapping Steve Smith in front before Tim Southee claimed a superb slips catch to remove Usman Khawaja.
Fired up and firing at the other end, debutant Ben Sears belied his test inexperience, completing a sharp caught-and-bowled chance from Marnus Labuschagne before Cameron Green was undone by express pace.
An eight-over blitz reduced Australia to 34-4 and left the Black Caps much closer to victory than many would have imagined on the opening day.
Falling to 108-8 in their first innings, coming off a first-test thumping in Wellington and facing down decades of dominance by their transtasman neighbours, their prospects seemed slim.
But Henry and Southee added late runs, the Cantabrian rolled through the Australian order, and a deficit of 94 was easily erased by Tom Latham and Kane Williamson.
Still, if they were to forge a realistic shot of toppling Australia for the first time since 2011 - and the first time at home since 1993 - day three had to bring by far their best batting performance of the series. And it did.
Rachin Ravindra in action on day three at Hagley Oval. Photo / Photosport
Restricted to an average of 179 in their first three turns during Australia’s tour, the hosts sailed past that number as Rachin Ravindra (82) and Daryl Mitchell (58) played with a positive intent seldom seen recently from the specialist batters.
They were aided by a favourable day-three pitch that had flattened and an older ball offering little to the seamers or spinner Nathan Lyon, yet Ravindra and Mitchell still had to execute their shots.
Execute they did, barely offering half a chance in a series-high stand of 123 for the fourth wicket, linking after Latham’s early dismissal for 73 and at times lashing the Australian attack.
After beginning on 134-2, the Black Caps scored 109 runs at a rate of 3.9 in the first session, mixing aggression with patience throughout the morning.
Mitchell met Lyon by coming down the track to smack six over long off, but was then content to brush off the spinner with his sweep. Ravindra was supremely comfortable playing a horizontal bat to the seamers’ short offerings, bringing up his second half-century of the series before lunch.
Mitchell matched that milestone but, from the fifth over with the new ball, Josh Hazlewood won a mini-duel to take his wicket, flayed wildly for two fours before moving one away just enough to glance the outside of the bat.
Pat Cummins entered the attack and unleashed a perfect first delivery to find Ravindra’s edge, then Tom Blundell once more fell cheaply as the new ball brought 3-18.
Scott Kuggeleijn (44 off 49) and Henry (16 off 11) clubbed a few boundaries - the former having been dropped on two by Labuschagne - before New Zealand were dismissed.
History within sight, Henry and Sears pulled their side closer. Thirteen years since Hobart, Christchurch could be next on a short and memorable list.
