Australia v New Zealand: Boxing Day cricket Test, day one – live! | Sport

37th over: Australia 94-2 (Labuschagne 34, Smith 17) Wagner to Smith with that silly point in again but he isn’t needed here, Smith pulling from the line of his body into the gap for an all-run four. One of the only grounds in the world where you can be guaranteed that will happen a few times in every Test played there.

36th over: Australia 88-2 (Labuschagne 33, Smith 12) IS LABUSCHAGNE RUN OUT? Direct hit from Wagner at long leg! They go upstairs. NOT OUT! A great dive. It ended a de Grandhomme over where four were taken. Every time these two run they are looking for two and racing between the wickets. Assertive batting. It hasn’t been perfect – Labuschagne could have been run out by Williamson about 20 minutes ago – but that error hasn’t diminished their enthusiasm.

35th over: Australia 84-2 (Labuschagne 30, Smith 11) Smith defends, leaves then waits to clip past backward square, just placing wide enough to get off strike. That’ll frustrate New Zealand, who want Wagner on him at every opportunity. Shane Warne explains on TV that a lot of teams try on the short attack for a few overs before giving it away as they aren’t accurate enough. The contrast with the Black Caps, he says, is that they have Wagner who can do it all day. As is the custom on Boxing Day, the Mexican Wave is now doing around the ‘G as Labuschangne finishes the over with a well-struck pull, adding three.

34th over: Australia 80-2 (Labuschagne 27, Smith 10) Southee is not going to let Labuschagne play the way he wants through the legside, digging a channel outside the off-stump. The No3 is up to the task, letting it all go with the lightsaber leave he’s learned from the bloke up the other end – his idol. Not too dissimilar to the middle session at Perth on day one, they have dried the runs up again, Australia adding just 13 over the last 10 overs and one single across the last 27 balls. There’s a shout for lbw when Labuschagne leaves a ball to hit his thigh pad but it’s going way over the top. He’s now faced 101 balls for his 26. Back to back maidens.

33rd over: Australia 80-2 (Labuschagne 27, Smith 10) Wagner now has a full crack at Smith from the start, popping a silly point in to join the short leg. He might not be the most fashionable fast bowler but he’s changing the way the best player in the world goes about his business – an achievement in itself. He’s out of the way of a conventional bouncer then just keeping a ball of his hip into the turf. That’s well taken by Latham at short leg, not letting him off strike. He has a more unorthodox crack at the next ball aimed in that direction, making room to swivel/pull around the corner, middling it straight to the man at the 45. Top Test Match cricket.

32nd over: Australia 80-2 (Labuschagne 27, Smith 10) RUN OUT CHANCE! Smith BBQ’d Labuschagne, giving it the Dean Jones yes, no, sorry. Williamson had the chance from mid-off to ping the stumps down, which would have left the No3 short by metres. But it isn’t on target. Could he had thrown to Southee instead, with sufficient time to take the bails? Quite possibly. Either way, with a ton in each of his three Tests this summer – pretty much chanceless until the second dig at Perth, where he still make it to 50 – that could hurt later today. Southee is doing a lot right, giving neither batsmen anything from a nagging fourth stump line.

31st over: Australia 79-2 (Labuschagne 27, Smith 9) Men around the bat on the legside for Wagner v Labuschagne now too. He takes the pull on when it’s there to be played but picks out square leg. Wagner goes straight back at the woodwork, finding an inside edge. Just as it was in Perth, he’s right in the game. Maiden.

30th over: Australia 79-2 (Labuschagne 27, Smith 9) Southee continues to Labuschagne, who eases three through midwicket when he overpitches. Smith leaves and defends the remaining deliveries. Easier to bat now with the sun out.

Those crowd facts I gave you before have been added to by CA, noting that records only go back 40 years or something like that. In short: it is the eighth highest opening day at Melbourne with more than 74,000 people in the ground.

29th over: Australia 76-2 (Labuschagne 24, Smith 9) Oh, the composer is back to replace Santner. Fair enough, I guess – mix it up after lunch to keep them thinking. It’s not the match-up they won’t though, Labuschagne down the business end rather than Smith. He deals with a predominantly full over from Warner around the wicket without concern, neatly pulling for one when the shorter ball arrives.

28th over: Australia 75-2 (Labuschagne 23, Smith 9) Shot. Smith gets a look at an overpitched Southee offering and makes no mistake, nailing it to the long-off rope. Southee was excellent with the new ball but why, I wonder, has Wagner been replaced? Surely this is the time to keep the pressure on? He does try to drop short to finis but there’s no menace, allowing the No4 to pull it for four without risk.

27th over: Australia 67-2 (Labuschagne 23, Smith 1) SO, SO CLOSE! Santner beat Labuschagne’s inside edge first ball. The appeal looked a good one but he was on the front foot with the ball still rising. Technology confirms this after Williamson elected, correctly, to hold onto their review. He’s in better shape using the depth of the crease for the rest of the over.

The players are back on the field. Yes, it’s true. Mitch Santner has the ball in his hand to roll down a few of his left-arm orthos. Good news this summer, I should add, is that they have finally changed the music the Australian team walk out to at the start of a session, shelving – at long last – Great Southern Land. Labuschagne is the man on strike. PLAY!

A lot of people are in. We’re told by Channel Seven that the attendance had now gone beyond the 73,812 who were in on Boxing Day in 1997. That’s the highest non-Ashes day one figure. Great day, that. SR Waugh and Ponting going after the second new ball before stumps. Punter’s ton the next morning. Good times.

“Whatever happens,” adds Yum, we have got The

Maxim Gun
Smiths, and they have not.” True. But today, at least for now, he just hasn’t earned it yet… baby.

“Monsieur Collins.” Our man Paris Bob Wilson is with us on Christmas, pleasing me greatly. “It’s cosy and strange that you’re doing this from from London (also a noticeable Northern Hemispheric mellowing of that zippy, sunny prose you rock down there). Top catch, that. Too many diving catches are treated with reverential astonishment (irritating to the goalies of the world) but that was a boned fish of a thing. A crime against ergonomics. One of the rare ones that looks harder in slo-mo. Southee clearly just thought…’**** it, I’m having that.’ A true gem.”

With you on the critique of diving catches. Of course, they aren’t easy. But being at full stretch doesn’t make it a classic. There’s a reason why slippers like Smith take them all the time – when they get a good, early look they can time their jump accordingly. They have trained for it. Southee’s, with the confusion of who should/would go for it and so on, was much harder to execute. That’s my Ted Talk.

Just Australia’s session? Having been sent in, with the ball and pitch doing plenty, you could advance that argument. On the other hand, New Zealand did get rid of Warner, who looked a lock for a major contribution until Wagner found his edge – taken superbly by Southee – with 15 minutes until the interval. Their other scalp, Burns bowled first ball by Boult in the opening over of the Test, had the MCG heaving with tens of thousands of New Zealanders in the stands. Lots of fun!

26th over: Australia 67-2 (Labuschagne 23, Smith 1) Smith takes one on the arm! Wade-esque! They rotate for one but the umpires, quite rightly, call them back as a leg bye can’t be added unless a shot is being offered or evasive action taken. It happens again later in the over – almost identical, albeit hitting him in the back this time. Umpire Llong waves his arms to signal dead ball and Smith doesn’t like it at all, believing that his action was to get out of the way. Last ball before lunch… and it finds the edge with Smith forced to play another super short ball, landing just in front of the catchers waiting behind the wicket. A riveting final over before the break, Smith flaring up at Nigel Llong as he leaves the field.

25th over: Australia 67-2 (Labuschagne 23, Smith 1) Good from Labuschagne, taking the ball with soft hands through the cordon to frustrate Boult. He defends and leaves the rest, which is fine with the Kiwis as it means they can race through it quicker than usual to secure another Wagner v Smith stoush before lunch.

24th over: Australia 63-2 (Labuschagne 19, Smith 1) Wagner is giving it his all with his short and accurate bowling, Smith on hands and knees a couple of times ostentatiously leaving balls alone before one really spits at his gloves, played with both feet off the ground but with soft hands well away from waiting catchers. Just what we wanted on this opening morning. Probably two more overs until lunch

23rd over: Australia 62-2 (Labuschagne 18, Smith 1) Nearing lunch, Boult gets a go at Smith – an adversary he knows well. Full and full to begin, short and short to follow. After his week in Perth, Smith wants nothing to do with either bouncer. They would do well to remember how England got themselves into a bouncer frenzy against Smith at Brisbane in 2017 and he didn’t take it on for nine hours. With so much focus on this, I suspect this is exactly what will happen here. The field remains set for a mistake: a leg gully, bat pad and two men out deep.

22nd over: Australia 62-2 (Labuschagne 18, Smith 1) Send in the crazy Smith Boxing Day Test stats, four times galloping to centuries in this fixture. On the other hand, for the first time in his career he’s coming into a Test with it four matches since a half-century. Not that this means anything. Right, four to go in the over and Wagner goes upstairs! Good bowling. The crowd love it, some commentators start talking Bodyline. I’ll bite my tongue. He’s off the mark with a quick single to midwicket. A direct hit would have been interesting.

And they have! Wagner changes ends and finds Warner’s edge second ball! Southee, jumping across from second slip, takes a sharp chance above his eyeline. A massive moment in the early exchanges of this Test Match. They’re now going to get 15 minutes at Steve Smith before lunch on the opening morning. Game on.

21st over: Australia 58-1 (Warner 41, Labuschagne 15) Nasty! Boult is back and immediately whacks Warner on the arm, leaping off a length. He’s spent a lot of time patting down the wicket between overs and does so again now between deliveries. Later in the over, he’s into the 40s with a couple behind point, using the pace well. To really justify their decision to bowl first, the Black Caps need something to go their way in the 18 minutes before lunch. Plenty has been going their way with the moving ball and the surface. They need to make it work now.

“Hi Adam.” Hi, Trevor Tutu. It’s still very early morning in Cape Town, but woken by dreams of the Newlands Test and the victory over England. I’m joining you on the OBO until I summon up the energy to watch it on the box. I wonder if I’ll even bother to get up, as I am now perfectly happy to get my cricket fix from the OBO.”

Thanks for your company. I’m bouncing between the OBOs for this Test and Cape Town later in the week. Very, very much looking forward to that.

20th over: Australia 56-1 (Warner 39, Labuschagne 15) An emphatic response from Warner to his troubles against CDG in the previous over, clobbering the first ball of this fresh set through cover for four then carving a couple behind point. He keeps going, moving through the 30s quicker than [insert name of a dictator here] with three more through cover – help yourself stuff, a long-hop. The all-rounder gets one look at Labuschange, who defends watchfully.

19th over: Australia 47-1 (Warner 30, Labuschagne 15) Singles to both behind square leg. Other than that, the approach to Wagner is to leave him well alone.

18th over: Australia 45-1 (Warner 29, Labuschagne 14) Ooh! CDG is suddenly the man most likely, twice in a row beating Warner from around the wicket with deliveries moving appreciably after pitching. The opener should have left the first one alone but the second required attention in these conditions. So close. If they don’t get him soon, I predict he’ll be about 162 not out overnight.

17th over: Australia 43-1 (Warner 28, Labuschagne 13) Bumper! That’s what the travelling fans are there to see, Wagner hurrying Labuschagne up with one that just evades his lid. For the second time this morning he’s slow on the bouncer, and he was out pulling in Perth. I’m not suggesting this is necessarily a weakness, but I’m sure the Kiwi quicks will be interpreting it that way. Good over. Maiden.

16th over: Australia 43-1 (Warner 28, Labuschagne 13) CDG has had a couple of polite words directed his way already in this spell about where he is landing in his follow through. An affliction for many stump-to-stump operators. He’s looking more likely to Labuschagne so far, who is starting well outside the crease at him to offset the natural curve he’s getting to the right hander. A quick single to finish, Boult getting a look at a direct hit but unable to nail the non-striker stumps.

15th over: Australia 40-1 (Warner 27, Labuschagne 11) Wagner is on and the Kiwi crowd are very happy, the left-armer generating so much attention in Perth for his efforts in both innings. No short stuff to begin though, Labuschagne leaving for the most part after clipping the first away for a couple. He tetains the strike with a single to midwicket as well. It’s taken a while, but the No3 is into double figures.

Some news from the Australian camp: Mitch Swepson, the QLD leggie, has been added to the squad for the SCG Test. He’s been on a couple of Test tours without debut as yet. Has had a few big moments so far in this summer’s Sheffield Shield.

14th over: Australia 37-1 (Warner 27, Labuschagne 8) Ooooi! Southee, gosh, this is outstanding swing bowling. It’s going to take that in order to nick Warner off now that he’s set and he’s nearly pulled it off from around the wicket with one coming back at him, the opener just inside the line. But this doesn’t bother Warner, who drives from the crease later in the over, creaming his cover drive through the gap for four. He finishes with two more past point, racing back in top gear to the danger end. We saw that over and over and over again in Adelaide last month.

13th over: Australia 31-1 (Warner 21, Labuschagne 8) CDG to Labuschagne, who is shuffling forward before the ball is bowled to negate a bit of the movement, but is mostly happy getting his bat out of the way. The bowler adjusts his length just a tad, prompting one of those play-and-misses where the batsman is trying to get the bat out of the way just as the ball passes. Fine work. He’s such a better bowler than the speed radar alone would suggest. A couple of good drives to finish but both straight to fielders. That’s drinks, bringing to a close an absorbing first hour.

“Just cricket things,” writes Sachin Paul. “Despite things being totally symmetrical, you rarely see Boult coming around the wicket to Labuschagne while it is the absolute main weapon that Southee (and other right arm fast bowlers) seem to use against lefties. Wonder why that is?”

Probably rhythm? But then again, Boult does come around the wicket without too much trouble in the shorter forms of the game.

12th over: Australia 31-1 (Warner 21, Labuschagne 8) Southee is still finding plenty of movement. I can’t wait to see the swing/seam analysis of the first session today compared to the first stanza here in 2017 and 2018, which were both painful.

11th over: Australia 29-1 (Warner 19, Labuschagne 8) de Grandhomme – or, CDG as I’m going to identify him this week – into the attack from the Smokers’ Stand End. As usual, he’s asking all the right questions from the get-go, finding the inside portion of Warner’s blade then doing the same with Labuschagne later in the over. “Just losing his shape,” says Michael Vaughan. Nice start from the all-rounder.

“Merry Christmas @collinsadam!” Gary Naylor – compliments of the season to you, my friend. “I got the collected memoirs of Clive James today, having read Volume 1 a few years back. Of course, the great man has left us now, as has much of his Australia (pace Bay 13). Is this a good or bad thing?”

On Bay 13, I refer back to a few overs ago. On James’ Australia… there’s a thesis in that! Did you catch the Tourism Australia advert before the Queen’s Speech today?

10th over: Australia 28-1 (Warner 18, Labuschagne 8) More runs for Warner, three of them, with a push past mid-on. I’ve watched Warner enough to declare that this is exactly how he looks when he’s en route to a ton. I’m usually reluctant to mozz players in this way, but with Warner it’s easier to tell when he’s on than for most.

9th over: Australia 25-1 (Warner 15, Labuschagne 8) Warner off strike again early in the Boult over, pushing past point along the carpet. That’s the way to do it when the ball is moving: get down the other end. Labuschagne deals with the rest. Might be worth giving Wagner a look from Boult’s end while the Kookaburra is new.

8th over: Australia 24-1 (Warner 14, Labuschagne 8) After Boult’s first over, Southee has been the more dangerous of the New Zealand seamers. Once again he’s forcing Labuschagne here to play with him respect. And just as it was in the previous over, he gets another real good’un that beats his outside edge.

“Merry Christmas Adam.” It’s just ticked over to Boxing Day here in the UK but I’ve had a great time of it. We actually hosted lunch today – how very grown up. Merry Christmas, Shane Puxley. “The action on field is riveting, and 8 bays of Kiwi support in the Olympic Stand is equally so. The problematic aspects of Bay 13 were real and important to address. I’m just not sure that ripping out the entire area and transplanting Bondi’s Bucket List Bar is the answer? The active support area at Headingley seemed to drive Stokes as much as he conducted them. We need to consider retaining space for collective barracking, with impetus on self-policing the less savoury aspects.”

Yes to all of this. My issue isn’t really Bay 13. As a veteran of that part of the ground (which, of course, hasn’t been ‘Bay 13’ since 1990), it has been a long time since it was an iconic place to engage with the players and all that. Probably when ODIs stopped bringing in bulk crowds a dozen years or so ago. But my point is that it remained a part of the ‘G that people enjoyed sitting. Maybe it was history, or where people sit at the footy, or that it is a cheap place to get a ticket. I just don’t think it was necessary to take out this chunk of seats, in Melbourne of all places.

7th over: Australia 23-1 (Warner 13, Labuschagne 8) That didn’t take long – Umpire Erasmus is already taking a look at the ball to put it through the rings. He gives it back to Boult, who overpitches again at Warner with his next, driven for three to long-off, Williamson denying him a boundary with an excellent sliding stop. They’re taking another look at the ball later in the over, to no avail for the tourists, who reckon it is out of shape. It keeps swinging though, this time back to Labuschange who misjudges an outsinger hitting him high on the front pad flap. He’s back on it straightaway though, square driving a wide half-volley for four.

“Morning Adam.” Morning, Damien McLean. “What a start by Boult, but his first ball made me think. Full, outside off, left by the batter. I can’t remember a first ball of a test match that didn’t follow that formula. I wondered, with your statistical contacts, if you could find out the likelihood of the opening ball of a test being full, outside off, left by the batter. If it’s as common as I’m assuming, should a bowler consider a well directed bouncer every now and then to catch the batter off guard, as surely it would be the last think they would expect.”

Great point. I’ll give that to the CricViz factory to take a look at for us.

“Ps, on the new Bay 13 at the MCG, my interpretation is that it’s CA’s attempt at a social commentary on the gentrification of inner city suburbs and the simultaneous exodus of traditional inhabitants, causing a diaspora of traditional bay 13 revellers to find new places in society. I think they’ve nailed it.”

6th over: Australia 14-1 (Warner 10, Labuschagne 4) Gosh, what a pearler from Southee to start his new over, beating Labuschagne with one that’s angled in at leg and beaten off. Gorgeous new ball bowling – unplayable. Labuschagne did the right thing though, playing the line rather than following it with his hands. After those two nervous plays-and-misses to begin, after Burns lost his middle stump in the first over of the day, Marnus has been back to his normal, organised self.

5th over: Australia 14-1 (Warner 10, Labuschagne 4) Bodyline – drink! The first use of the magic word on television, Warne asking how New Zealand will go at Smith when the time comes. None of that here, Boult very much in Warner’s half, the opener waiting for the overpitched delivery that comes at the end, driven carefully through the gap at cover for his first boundary. Very good batting.

4th over: Australia 10-1 (Warner 6, Labuschagne 4) Full, leave. Full, defend. Bumper! There it is, and Labuschagne is on it late. We saw plenty of this in Perth and it worked a lot better than the final margin would suggest. Clever bowling from Southee, pushing the next up on a good length to locate edge, on the bounce to third slip. He leaves the last couple. We’re seeing pictures of the two Australians between overs doing plenty of gardening. It’s made for a great start. Maiden.

3rd over: Australia 10-1 (Warner 6, Labuschagne 4) Boult with a 7-2 field at Warner, finding his leading edge with the first of the new set, albeit on the bounce between the two gullies for a couple. He’s more convincing in that same direction later in the after, collecting two more past point. He’s back on the front foot before long, Boult doing well to stop a straight drive in his follow through. Two of the best in the world going at it on Boxing Day equals very good watching.

2nd over: Australia 6-1 (Warner 2, Labuschagne 4) Tim Southee has the ball in his hand from the Great Southern Stand End, Warner clipping him to long leg for his second single. New Zealand won’t mind that, getting another look at Labuschagne who wafted at his first two balls. Four slips in place. “I like this,” says Warne. “Good move.” He has the good sense the bust out his lightsaber leave this time, though. After playing the next outswinger with soft hands into the cordon, he gets a look at a long half-volley to finish and makes no mistake, stroking it safely past mid-off for the first boundary.

“It’s like Eden Park here!” says my mate Dom Milesi from behind the bowlers’ arm in the MCC. It certainly sounds it on the telly!

“Looks like Burns has earned himself a rare golden Boxing day duck,” writes Yum in Brisbane. “Something that can never be taken away from him.” The last time he batted on Boxing Day, four years back, he made a fine century in tough conditions. He now has both.

1st over: Australia 1-1 (Warner 1, Labuschagne 0) It’s the stuff you dream of as a swing bowler, something Boult has done so often across his decorated international career. Burns didn’t help himself, launching at a booming drive first ball; just the fourth delivery of the day. Labuschagne’s turn and he’s beaten first up by a ball he had no need to play. Oh, and he’s beaten again to finish! Nervous batting; super bowling. The MCG is ALIVE with the Kiwi support going wild.

Through the gate with a beauty! Burns bowled first ball playing all around it! Hooley dooley!

Oh! And Boxing Day 2010. How can anyone ever forget? And yes, that’s the last time a captain elected to bowl first at Melbourne.

“Hi Adam, And a very merry Boxing Day.” Hi, Ian Forth – to you and yours as well. “I can recall the memorable insertions that went awry: Hussain in 2002 at Brisbane, Ponting 2005 at Edgbaston, even Paine 2019 at The Oval come to mind. But I haven’t got the same mental map of rather unexpected insertions that were proved right. I expect others might have.”

Good point – we don’t often discuss them when they work. Two that immediately stand out for me: Edgbaston and Trent Bridge in 2015.

That Williamson decision. I’ll remind you of the semi-final in this year’s World Cup. There, the New Zealand skipper was widely panned for how conservatively they batted. Well, it turns out an international skipper reads a track better than we all do. If he’s pulled the right lever here, it really would be something. “It’s a great move,” says Brendon McCullum on SEN Radio. “Giving their quicks an opportunity to go through them early here is their best bet.”

Australia: David Warner, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Matthew Wade, Travis Head, Tim Paine (c & wk), James Pattinson, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon.

New Zealand: Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, BJ Watling (wk), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.

BOLD! Kane Williamson says this was the plan. His two changes were those I flagged earlier; teams to you in a sec. Tim Paine says he “wasn’t too sure” what he would do if he won the toss. Unusual for the Cricket Ground, that’s for sure, but the track is green, so here we are. Pattinson for Hazlewood confirmed as Australia’s only change.

Confirmed from the ground, via Justin Langer on radio. Head will retain his spot; Neser to again ride the pine. Oh well. Victorian James Pattinson is in for his first home Test since his first international summer back in 2011. He’ll be loving that, make no mistake.