Tim Southee and Shane Bond ensured New Zealand’s series finished on a high but with the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy already conceded, it was only a consolation victory for the hosts over Australia. The 51-run triumph might at least give New Zealand some spark heading in to the Test series, which begins up the road at the Basin Reserve on Friday, and it left the ODI scoreline at 3-2.

Ricky Ponting didn’t lose a toss for the whole series and again made New Zealand set a target, but this time on a two-paced pitch their 241 for 9 appeared competitive. A double-wicket maiden from Bond early on put Australia on the back foot before Southee ran through the middle-order with 4 for 36 to confirm the win as Australia were dismissed for 190 with 3.5 overs to spare.

Despite the success of the fast men it was the offspinner Nathan McCullum who picked up the most important wicket, which was also his first in ODIs. Shane Watson was doing his best to guide Australia’s chase despite watching wickets fall around him, and he had worked his way to 53 when he chipped McCullum to midwicket, to leave Australia vulnerable at 96 for 5.

A typically resistant 46 from Michael Hussey kept Australia in the contest before Southee delivered a perfect straight yorker that cannoned into the stumps when Hussey tried to lap sweep and take advantage of the batting Powerplay. James Hopes made 40 in vain, before Bond returned to grab the final two wickets to finish with 4 for 26.

The batsmen found it a difficult surface on which to perfect their timing and Australia’s chase stagnated through the middle overs. Southee picked up two important breakthroughs when Cameron White (6 from 21 balls) failed to clear mid-off and Adam Voges (5 off 17) was given caught behind trying to run the ball fine, although Hot Spot indicated there was no edge.

The visitors were under pressure from the moment Bond grabbed two in two balls during the seventh over. Brad Haddin was on 17 when he pulled, was surprised by the pace and bounce, and top edged a catch to square leg. The next delivery was a superb bouncer, fast and straight, and glanced off Ponting’s helmet and through to the wicketkeeper. Ponting had dropped his hands and the ball was nowhere near his gloves, and he was incredulous when Gary Baxter’s verdict of out was revealed.

White survived the hat-trick ball, but there wasn’t much else for Australia to celebrate. They had let New Zealand off the hook in the later stages of the first innings, after the hosts had stumbled to 32 for 3. New Zealand had failed to bat out their 50 overs in the past three matches and it looked set to happen again, despite a fighting 55 from Scott Styris.

Poor judgment from senior players threatened to derail their recovery effort. The vice-captain Ross Taylor been susceptible to undisciplined acts when tied down all series and again he fell to a premeditated slog, looking to lift his rate when he had 30 from 55 balls. Taylor walked at Watson to pull straight to the man at deep midwicket, and equally frustrating was the way Vettori departed.

Vettori was batting at No. 6 and had wangled his way to 28 when he backed away to Doug Bollinger and lost his off stump while attempting an airy drive through the off side. It was an ill-thought-out stroke as Styris had gone eight balls earlier and at five-down in the 33rd over, stability was required.

No member of Australia’s attack was dominant and the first seven breakthroughs came from a run-out and one to each of the six bowlers used. Both openers fell in the fifth over, Brendon McCullum for 1 from 13 deliveries when he backed away and was caught at cover, trying to force Clint McKay through the off side, and Martin Guptill (7) found short by a Hopes direct-hit.

Shanan Stewart, who made 6, joined them in the dressing room when he drove at Johnson and a regulation edge went through to Haddin. At three down in the eighth over, Australia fancied their chances of skittling New Zealand but the lower order proved strong-willed.

Daryl Tuffey made an extremely useful 36, bettering his career-best for the second consecutive match, and he found the middle of the bat regularly. That the No. 9 Tuffey arrived at the crease with 11 overs to go, and stayed until the last ball of the 50th over, was a key part of New Zealand’s success. Tuffey, Bond and the Man of the Match Southee, can all sleep well knowing they contributed to a morale-boosting win.

Brydon Coverdale is a staff writer at Cricinfo.

Australia secured the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy on Thursday with a six-wicket win against New Zealand in the fourth one-day international played here.

Credit for the win went to skipper Ricky Ponting and Cameron White, who helped their team reach the revised score of 200 (Duckworth-Lewis). The Australians had earlier dismissed New Zealand for 238 and had been set a target of 239 for victory.

Thursday’s win ensured that the Kangaroos nailed the trophy with a 3-1 series scoreline.

Australia found their way home with 17 balls to spare. Cameron White and Michael Hussey completed the chase, which was set up by Ponting and Shane Watson, and despite a couple of quick wickets in the middle from Daniel Vettori the visitors were on track for most of the evening.

The Man of the Match, White was cool with an unbeaten 50 and Hussey finished on 28, easing any tension the Australians felt when Adam Voges (34) was caught at midwicket with 50 runs still required. Shane Bond had kicked things off well for New Zealand with Brad Haddin caught at slip in the first over but Ponting and Watson cruised from there.

Ponting was powerful with back-foot drives and pulls and, although he should have been lbw for 19, he reached his fifty from 34 balls before being trapped in front by Vettori from his next delivery. Watson (32) was also lbw to Vettori, hurried by an arm ball, but in the reduced contest New Zealand needed a bigger run of wickets to have a good chance.

New Zealand were dismissed for 238 off just 44.1 overs after being sent into bat by Australia.

After Brendon McCullum got the hosts off to a flying start with 61, the New Zealand middle order collapsed as they were dismissed inside the 50-over mark for a second consecutive match.

Only a late flurry from No 9 Daryl Tuffey, who hit four sixes in his 34 off 17 balls, saved New Zealand from total embarrassment.

All the Australian bowlers chipped in, with spinner Nathan Hauritz taking three for 46 off eight overs after Tuffey hit him for three consecutive sixes.

Mitchell Johnson, James Hopes and Shane Watson took two wickets each.

New Zealand 198 for 5 (Redmond 63, Guptill 45*, Styris 42) beat Ireland 115 (Nathan McCullum 3-15) by 83 runs..

The Black Caps dominated Ireland from start to finish as they put their injury woes behind them to complete a convincing win.

Aaron Redmond battered the Irish attack with 63 from just 30 balls before Martin Guptill (45 not out off 32 balls) and Scott Styris (42 off 25 balls) made sure the onslaught continued over the second half of the innings as they amassed 198-5.

Ireland got off to the worst possible start in their run-chase when Kyle Mills deflected a straight drive by Gary Wilson onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end, with captain Will Porterfield (1) out of his crease backing up.

Ian Butler then dropped a juggling catch at wide mid-on when Wilson was on five but Niall O’Brien (3) fell in the next over when he tamely drove to Jacob Oram at mid-on.

Wilson (23) and Andre Botha (28) lifted Irish spirits in a perky third-wicket stand of 42 before both then fell in consecutive overs.

Wilson picked out James Franklin on the extra cover boundary, who took a good low catch, off Scott Styris and then the previous bowler turned fielder to effect a run out when Botha was sent back going for a single.
With that went any – albeit unlikely – hope for Ireland to cause another shock.

Alex Cusack (20 off 12 balls) hit out defiantly for a while but when he became the first of two wickets to fall to Nathan McCullum the end was nigh.

Trent Johnston (14) became the fourth run-out victim before Mills comprehensively bowled Regan West to finish the Irish off.

Redmond, who had been drafted into the squad to replace Jesse Ryder (virus), had earlier got his campaign off to a flyer with three boundaries in the first over- bowled by Peter Connell.

The right-hander then smacked Johnston for four more boundaries in the seamer’s opening six balls as he quickly moved to 30 from 10 balls.

Kevin O’Brien put a block on the scoring, conceding just two in his initial burst, but life got no easier for Johnston as Redmond plundered another two boundaries at the start of his second over.

O’Brien’s earlier miserliness was diminished when Brendon McCullum deposited a full-toss into the stand at square leg – the 100th six of the tournament.

The 50 came off just 28 balls as New Zealand seemed intent on getting the job done as quickly as possible.
Kyle McCallan dismissed McCullum (10) with his second delivery, when the stand-in captain picked out mid-off, but that did little to upset the balance of power.

Redmond upset the off-spinner’s line in his second over when he reverse-swept for consecutive fours to bring up his 50 (off 23 balls) and then ended the over with another boundary to midwicket.

Guptill joined in the fun when he picked up an O’Brien slower ball for six and then hit another boundary to long-off as the Black Caps sailed along to 95-2 at the midway point.

Redmond went during that 10th over when he was trapped leg before in Alex Cusack’s first over by a delivery that kept low as he ventured to work the ball to the on-side.

West put down a fairly simple caught and bowled chance off Styris (on 16) as the third-wicket pair reached their 50-stand off 34 balls.

Styris celebrated the landmark by clubbing McCallan over midwicket for six and then hit his first four (after three sixes) over extra-cover. The all-rounder succumbed to the next ball when he was well caught low down by Kevin O’Brien at deep backward square-leg.

The entrance of Oram failed to stem the flow of runs as he added 15 off seven balls before he was caught on the cover boundary.

Peter McGlashan (5) was bowled when he opened up his stumps looking to paddle the ball over the on-side, only to be bowled by Johnston.

Guptill ensured the Black Caps carried their onslaught through to the last, hammering the largest six of the day into the upper tier at wide mid-on off Cusack and then picked out the same area in the final over – off Johnston – for his fourth maximum to lift his side to the second highest total in the tournament thus far.

The Black Caps will hope captain Daniel Vettori (shoulder) and Ross Taylor (hamstring) will soon return to fitness for tougher challenges ahead but their progress without them has been encouraging thus far.

New Zealand 90 for 3 (Ryder 31, Taylor 21*) beat Scotland 89 for 4 (Coetzer 33, Poonia 27, Watson 27) by seven wickets…

New Zealand beat Scotland by seven wickets as both sides displayed their big-hitting capabilities in a truncated match at the Oval.

Scotland ensured the Black Caps would have a battle on their hands by posting 89-4 from their seven overs after being put into bat.

A sloppy fielding display from the Scots then allowed their opponent to get home with an over to spare thanks to some power batting from their top order.

Persistent showers from early in the morning meant play was delayed by two hours 20 minutes from the scheduled 10.00am start.

Stand-in New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, deputising for Daniel Vettori who was absent with a shoulder problem, made his side’s run-chase all the easier by taking Calum MacLeod’s opening over for 19.

Jesse Ryder followed on from his opening partner by taking 12 from Gordon Drummond’s first over as the Kiwis took 31 from their Powerplay.

The left-hander then clubbed three on-side boundaries, one of those a six, at the start of Craig Wright’s over before driving another maximum over long-off. Ryder was finally caught at long-on next ball following a blistering innings of 31 off 12 deliveries.

Ross Taylor carried on the onslaught in Drummond’s second over before a comedy of errors resulted in the run out of his batting partner. The right-arm seamer’s earlier no-ball gave Taylor a free-hit to take advantage off, from which Poonia dropped a ‘catch’ at extra cover. Hesitation by the batsmen over a second run ended up with McCullum (18 off 7 balls) being well short of his crease when the fielder returned to wicketkeeper Colin Smith.

Drummond then suffered an embarrassing lapse when he not only put down a skier from Jacob Oram behind square but then proceeded to kick the ball to the boundary as it fell to the floor.

The fielder’s slip was not too costly, however, as Oram (8) then picked out long-on off Ryan Watson’s next ball.

Watson’s over turned out to be the most economical of the match – costing just the four runs that could have been avoided – to leave New Zealand with 22 to get off the last two overs.

Ultimately it was Scotland’s overstepping that settled the match in New Zealand’s favour – the third of which from Jan Stander resulted in Taylor bludgeoning the ‘free hit’ for six. Taylor picked the next ball over midwicket for another six to leave the Black Caps with a relatively simple equation of eight from 10 balls. The right-hander brought the scores level with one final six over long-on before a single left Taylor on 21 off 10 balls at the end.

Scotland had earlier put themselves into a strong position as they attacked the New Zealand bowlers with vigour.

Watson top-edged an attempted pull over the wicketkeeper to the boundary off Iain O’Brien’s first ball and followed that with three more convincing fours off the last three balls of the opening over.

The Zimbabwe-born batsman continued to plunder until the third over, by which time he had amassed 27 off 10 balls, when he sliced a drive off Ian Butler to Ross Taylor at deep cover.

The in-form Kyle Coetzer picked up from where he left off during the warm-up matches with a four off his first delivery before McCullum, who handed over the wicketkeeping gloves to Peter McGlashan for the day, dropped a steepling catch running back from mid-on next ball.

Scotland’s 50 came up off 25 balls, with eight fours, at the start of a fifth over that also contained the first six of the innings – a scintillating off-drive by Coetzer. In all, Ryder’s single over cost 19 – the most expensive of the innings.

The 50-partnership for the second wicket (off 22 balls) was hurried along by Navdeep Poonia, who clubbed a slower ball from Oram over midwicket for six.

Coetzer (33 off 15 balls) then registered the third six of the innings, during the final over, when he top-edged Butler to fine-leg. The Durham batsman was dismissed next ball, however, when he edged to McGlashan, who then effected the run out of Poonia (27 off 15 balls) next ball as the batsmen attempted a bye to the keeper. Butler then bowled Smith off the final ball of the innings as wickets fell off each of the last three deliveries.

Australia 151 for 3 (Ponting 56, Clarke 49*) beat New Zealand 147 (Styris 42, Johnson 4-20) by seven wickets…

Australia executed a perfectly-paced chase to brush aside New Zealand by seven wickets in their warm-up match at The Oval. Ponting led the way with a brisk half-century and received support from his deputy Michael Clarke who remained unbeaten to ensure victory was secured in the final over.

There was good news on the bowling front too with Mitchell Johnson taking 4 for 20 while Brett Lee bowled with hostility and took 1 for 9 off 3.5 overs. Their new-ball partnership left New Zealand’s top-order in shreds at 21 for 5 and it needed a feisty recovery from Scott Styris and Peter McGlashan, who was playing Australia for the first time, to set a respectable target.

Australia made a near-perfect start, with Lee and Johnson snaring the New Zealand openers in consecutive overs. There were an astonishing number of dot balls as both bowlers passed the bat with regularity. The New Zealand batsmen’s efforts to break free failed – Martin Guptill holed out after striking one boundary, as did Ross Taylor after hitting three fours in a row. Jacob Oram’s dismissal – run out without facing a ball – hurt New Zealand further but they recovered to 147 thanks to the depth of their batting line-up.

Australia also bat deep – Lee is slotted at No. 10 – but their lower order wasn’t tested on the day. They too suffered a minor hiccup at the start, losing both Shane Watson and David Warner within the space of five balls to James Franklin, but Ponting and Clarke prevented any further damage. They planned the chase masterfully, picking up singles and twos with regularity, chipping away at the asking-rate and then reducing it dramatically with the odd boundary.

Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, was pleased with his team’s effort and said that they were improving with every game.

“Brett and Mitchell almost put the game to sleep in the first six overs. Then we chased the score down sensibly,” he said. “It is nice to turn the competitive juices on in a game situation.

“You can never replicate that in training no matter how hard you do it, so to play against another country gets the adrenaline going and some good stuff happened because of the competitive environment.”

He reserved special praise for Johnson, whose four economical wickets cut through New Zealand. “He is just starting to get some condition about him,” Nielsen said. “He has just come off a month in Perth, where he has been doing some work in the gym. He was beaming last night because of the fact he thought his rhythm was there and the ball was coming out fast without him trying hard.

“That’s always a good indication. It is always about three or four runs in that he bowls at his best and he is only two runs in at the moment.”

George Binoy is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo

New Zealand 170 for 7 (Taylor 41, McCullum 31, Franklin 27*, Ishant 4-25) beat India 161 for 6 (Raina 45, Jadeja 41*, Vettori 3-24) by nine runs…

New Zealand’s unbeaten record against India in Twenty20s continued today by beating the world champions by nine runs in their warm-up outing at Lord’s. Several New Zealand batsmen chipped in with aggressive contributions to post an imposing total which their bowlers, led by the reliable Daniel Vettori, defended tenaciously against a powerful Indian batting line-up.

The India team had faced questions regarding fatigue and fitness because of their players’ involvement in the lengthy IPL and they took the field without Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan. Yuvraj Singh also did not play a part in the match although he was on the team sheet. However, it was because of the batsmen that performed in the IPL – Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja – that India challenged New Zealand’s total of 170.

Sharma, who opened with Gautam Gambhir, slotted seamlessly into his new role and attacked from the outset against Iain O’Brien. With an extravagant follow through, Sharma deposited the ball into the stands at midwicket, pierced the in-field at point again, and launched the ball over long-off to take 18 runs off O’Brien’s second over. The Indian fans had been gathering from the latter stages of the Ireland-Netherlands match, making themselves heard whenever the players were shown on the giant screen and now were shouting themselves hoarse.

Through all the excitement, though, Gambhir remained almost unnoticed, catching the attention only when he spooned Ian Butler to Martin Guptill at extra cover. India, however, raced to 55 in six overs and New Zealand needed more to curb the momentum. Vettori duly did the needful. He slipped one down the leg side as MS Dhoni advanced and had him stumped, despite a fumble from Brendon McCullum, before bowling Sharma a few balls later as the ball bobbled off the pads.

India suddenly had two new batsmen at the crease and New Zealand had an opening, but for a while it seemed Raina had slammed it shut. He plundered 19 runs off Vettori’s second over, slog-sweeping twice over the midwicket boundary and drilling the ball straight down the ground.

He and Jadeja produced an impressive stand, adding 69 off 48 balls for the fourth wicket. It was only Raina’s dismissal – caught by a diving Jesse Ryder off Jacob Oram for 45 – that turned the match in New Zealand’s favour. Vettori bounced back strongly to dismiss Yusuf Pathan in another miserly over to finish with 3 for 24 and left India with too much to do in the last three overs.

That the New Zealand bowlers had enough to defend was due to a collective performance from their batsmen. While no one went on to make fifty, New Zealand always had a well set batsman at the crease to keep the momentum going. Brendon McCullum provided the impetus at the start, while Ross Taylor continued his good form from the latter stages of the IPL during the middle overs. Scott Styris chipped in with a useful innings and Franklin enhanced his newly-developed status as a batting allrounder with massive strikes towards the ends of the innings.

Most of the New Zealand batsmen favoured the leg-side boundary and some perished while trying to clear it. McCullum eventually skied a catch to midwicket, while Ryder, who failed to get out of his IPL rut, was bowled trying to swing across the line. Ishant Sharma was the bowler who dismissed both, making up for the void created by the shoulder injury to Zaheer.

Taylor carted Pragyan Ojha for two consecutive sixes over deep-square leg and dispatched the left-arm spinner to the deep midwicket boundary as well. Ishant returned to peg New Zealand back by inducing a top-edged pull from Oram, which was held by Harbhajan.

Taylor, too, fell in the 16th over when one slog-sweep against Harbhajan did not clear RP Singh. Styris kept the momentum going with a breezy 29 off 19 balls but it was Franklin who hurt India in the end. He laid into RP in the 20th over and deposited the ball beyond the straight boundary twice before pulling to midwicket for four. New Zealand managed 50 runs off their last four overs and that acceleration proved to be the difference.

George Binoy is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo

Joseph Hoover

Wellington, Apr 7 (PTI) India recorded their first series triumph on New Zealand soil in 41 years though rain denied them a deserving victory in the third cricket Test here today.

Rain played spoilsport in India’s push for a 2-0 series win on the fifth and final day and the hosts escaped with a draw after they were down 281 for eight in the post-lunch session in chase of a near impossible 617 for a win.

The visitors will have to be content with a 1-0 victory in the three-match Test series after India won the first match in Hamilton by 10 wickets and drawing the second in Napier.

Despite the draw today, India ended their long wait of 41 years to win a Test series in New Zealand after Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi-led side drubbed the Kiwis 3-1 in 1968.

The Indians, who outplayed the Kiwis throughout the match, were well on course for a victory by conjuring up four wickets in just over a session before light rain stopped play 30 minutes into post lunch session. Daniel Vettori on 15 was at the crease at that time alongwith Iain O’Brien (19).

There was a glimmer of hope for India recording their 100th Test victory as covers were taken off for a short while to resume the post-lunch session half an hour after stoppage.

That hope disappeared as rain returned immediately and light shower turned into heavy downpour. The match was finally called off at 1015 hrs IST, nearly one and half hours before scheduled close. PTI

India 379 (Tendulkar 62, Harbhajan 60, Dhoni 52, Martin 4-98) and 434 for 7 dec (Gambhir 167, Laxman 61, Dravid 60, Dhoni 56*) drew with New Zealand 197 (Zaheer 5-65) and 281 for 8 (Taylor 107, Harbhajan 4-59)

The Wellington weather and a Ross Taylor century defied India as the third Test ended in a draw with New Zealand eight wickets down. Zaheer Khan had bowled just one delivery with the second new ball when the rain forced the players off the field 20 minutes after lunch, and they wouldn’t return. India were left to reflect on three dropped catches, while New Zealand might have argued that they were due a bit of luck after two decisions went against them. The draw might have been an unsatisfactory result, but it still sealed a first Indian series win in New Zealand in 41 years.

They could have won it even before the heavens opened though. Tim Southee was given out caught behind off Harbhajan Singh, though the noise that got all the close-in fielders excited was actually bat hitting pad. Moments later, it was New Zealand that were the beneficiaries of umpiring largesse. Harbhajan turned one sharply and Daniel Vettori was palpably plumb, but Simon Taufel thought otherwise.

When Ishant Sharma then grassed a simple chance at square leg after Iain O’Brien had slogged Tendulkar, the Indians might have known it wasn’t to be their day. Soon after, Zaheer came on and so did the rain. And that was that.

The story of the morning had been Sachin Tendulkar. It had taken MS Dhoni 76 overs to give the ball to him, but two wickets shortly before lunch in an extended morning session put the smiles back on Indian faces after a 142-run partnership between Taylor and James Franklin had kept them at bay. New Zealand were also left to ponder a poor decision against Brendon McCullum as their struggle for survival was compromised in a crazy passage of play just before the interval.

Zaheer had an early shout for leg-before against Franklin turned down, but the theme of the first hour was stout resistance. Taylor continued to feast on short and wide offerings from Ishant, and the Indian mood didn’t improve when Gautam Gambhir failed to hold on to a chance at short leg after Franklin had popped one up off bad and pad. New Zealand added 38 before the drinks break, and soon after an airy flick down to fine leg off Harbhajan got Taylor to his century from just 158 balls.

Tendulkar was introduced soon after, but the frustration continued as Franklin edged one past slip for four. And it was left to the frontline spinner to strike, though relying on drift rather than turn to get the job done. Taylor’s attempt to push the ball away was stymied by the movement through the air and Harbhajan’s celebrations were certainly not muted as he yorked the key obstacle in India’s path.

Soon after, Munaf Patel put down McCullum at mid-off off Tendulkar, but the second chance didn’t go a long way. A ripping leg break spun past the bat and through to slip via Dhoni’s gloves, but the impact of bat on the ground fooled the umpire into upholding India’s appeal. And if that was a serious blow to New Zealand’s hopes, worse was to follow, as Franklin who had eased his way to 49 was trapped in front by another delivery that turned sharply into him. As at Adelaide five years earlier, Tendulkar had compensated for an average performance with the bat by turning into the man with the golden arm. But even he could do nothing about the weather.

Dileep Premachandran is an associate editor at Cricinfo

Sachin Tendulkar struck twice just before the end of the first session to reduce New Zealand to 254 for seven at lunch.

India started the fifth and the final day of the third Test match, beaming with confidence of finishing it off early.

While the bowlers were looking to take quick wickets, the overnight batsmen — Ross Taylor and James Franklin played cautious and patient knocks each, to lead the Kiwi resistance, even as Indian bowlers hunt for wickets.

Taylor completed his century and in the able company of Franklin continued to battle it out in the middle.
It was Harbhajan Singh who managed to break the resistance by taking the prized wicket of Taylor for a well-made 107.

Once the partnership was broken, Sachin Tendulkar took the centre-stage and struck twice to get rid of Brendon McCullum and James Franklin in his consecutive overs.

At stumps on day four, India were within touching distance of an emphatic victory in the third and the final Test against New Zealand.

Having set the Black Caps a mammoth target of 617 runs to chase down, the visitors had restricted them to 167 for four when bad light ended play early on the fourth day at the Basin Reserve.

It left New Zealand needing a further 450 runs to win with Ross Taylor (69) and James Franklin (26) to resume on the final day.

Rain expected

However, with rain expected on Tuesday, India may be forced to settle for a 1-0 series win – their first Test series triumph on New Zealand soil since 1968 – after they won the Hamilton Test by 10 wickets and drew the match in Napier.

Zaheer Khan, who took five for 65 in the first innings, and Harbhajan Singh got two wickets apiece, while Rahul Dravid went past Mark Waugh’s record of 181 catches in Tests when he took a low catch at third slip to combine with Khan for Tim McIntosh’s wicket before lunch.

India batted for just over an hour at the start of the day to push their lead beyond the 600-run mark as captain MS Dhoni finished with an unbeaten 56 and Khan ended 18 not out.

The visitors added 85 runs to their overnight score of 349 for five but lost the wickets of Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan in the process.

Yuvraj provided most of the entertainment as he raced from his overnight score of 15 to 40, with Iain O’Brien going for three consecutive fours and a six in one over, before edging a Chris Martin delivery to Ross Taylor in the slips.

Harbhajan fell for no score – also to Martin – and India were 397 for seven.

It’s all about numbers!

Dhoni brought up his half-century with a single off James Franklin and a couple of overs later he declared the innings closed.

Khan bowled a 15-over spell that was only broken by the lunch interval and claimed his first wicket late in the morning session when McIntosh (four) edged to Dravid.

The Black Caps were 37 for one at the break which quickly became 54 for two when Daniel Flynn (10) edged onto his thigh then the stumps to give Khan his second scalp.

Taylor had a lucky escape on nine when he was given out, caught by Gautam Gambhir off Harbhajan, by umpire Simon Taufel.

But after consultation with Daryl Harper the catch was referred to third umpire Tony Hill and the right-hander was recalled as there was too much doubt as to whether or not the ball had touched the ground.

Taylor made the most of the opportunity and went on to score his fifth half-century and put on an important 83-run partnership with Franklin.

Harbhajan took the other two wickets in quick succession, Martin Guptill and Jesse Ryder departing within three balls. Guptill was dismissed one run shy of his maiden Test half-century but improved on his previous highest Test score of 48.

Ryder went for nought, edging to Dravid to give the Indian veteran his 183rd catch.

No further wickets fell in the session and by tea Taylor and Franklin had taken the hosts to 136 for four.

Taylor took a couple of overs to reach his half-century once play resumed and in the hour of play available following the interval added a further 14 runs to his score.

Franklin survived a leg before shout off the part-time spin of Virender Sehwag on 23 shortly before the close.
Khan ended the day with two for 50 off 15 overs and Harbhajan two for 36 off 17. Ishant Sharma had mixed day going for 33 runs off six overs.

Joseph Hoover

Wellington, Apr 6 (PTI) Rahul Dravid scaled another lofty peak in his illustrious career when he created the world record for the most number of Test catches by a fielder here today.

Levelled with Mark Waugh’s 181 (128 Tests) before going into the match, Dravid pulled ahead in his 134th match when he gobbled up Tim McIntosh at third slip off Zaheer Khan on day four of the third Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve.

Having snared Nasser Hussain off Javagal Srinath to open his ‘catch’ account in his debut Test at Lord’s, Dravid is now clearly ahead of Ricky Ponting (148 in 131 Tests), Jacques Kallis (147 in 131) and Mahela Jayawardene (142 in 102) among current players.

The milestone had been on his mind for quite a while and when he achieved it, he showed rare emotion by planting a kiss on the cherry. The accomplishment should possibly help to ease his frustration at not scoring a hundred on this tour.

“The way I was batting, I should have scored a hundred in each of the Tests,” said Dravid, ruing his dismissals in the third Test against New Zealand.

He carved scores of 66, 8 not out, 83, 62, 35 and 60, but failed to convert those four half centuries into hundreds, falling once to a sharp in-cutter at Hamilton, a dubious leg before decision at Napier and poor shots in the rest. PTI