Kiwis in trouble after Head ton

Slump to 44/2, preventing a Smith 100 day’s only success

Melbourne, December 27

Australia’s pacemen struck twice to leave New Zealand vulnerable at 44/2 on Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test after Travis Head scored a sparkling century to put the hosts in command.

Tom Latham was nine not out with Ross Taylor on two and New Zealand face a mountain to climb to reach Australia’s first innings total of 467.

The tourists’ opening woes continued, with Jeet Raval’s replacement Tom Blundell out for 15, edging a Pat Cummins delivery to wicketkeeper-captain Tim Paine. The huge contingent of New Zealand fans in a crowd of 60,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was soon groaning again when captain Kane Williamson top-edged a pull to be caught by Paine for nine.

Under pressure to cement his place in Australia’s middle order, South Australian scrapper Head completed his second Test ton after tea and celebrated with emotion on a sun-drenched afternoon. He was eventually dismissed for 114, smashing spin-bowling all-rounder Mitchell Santner straight to cover when looking for quick runs late in Australia’s innings. Head scored 56 in his first innings in the series-opener in Perth but was disappointed to give up his wicket with a loose drive off paceman Tim Southee. “Last week I threw it away a little bit and then was really disappointed with that,” he said. “So it’s nice (to) get another opportunity.”

Big stand

Head combined with captain Tim Paine in a 150-run partnership that all but crushed New Zealand’s hopes of forging a series-levelling victory after their 296-run loss in the Day/Night Test in Perth. Their sixth-wicket stand was ended soon after tea when the tireless Neil Wagner trapped Paine lbw for 79, denying the Tasmanian skipper a maiden Test hundred.

Kane Williamson’s bowlers mopped up the tail for the cost of only 34 runs but the damage was already done. New Zealand managed only one wicket from the first two sessions, placing Williamson’s decision to send Australia in to bat upon winning the toss under an even harsher light.

After Australia resumed in the morning on 257/4, paceman Wagner denied Steve Smith his first century of the home summer, dismissing the master batsman for 85 with a short ball for the third time in the series. Smith was out parrying at a bouncer that pinged off the shoulder of his bat before being plucked out of the air with one hand by a leaping Henry Nicholls at gully.

That was as good as it got for the Black Caps who were soon on the back foot as Head and Paine counter-attacked with vigour. —Reuters

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Boxing Day Test under threat from rising temperature

Melbourne: One of the most famous fixtures in world cricket, the Boxing Day Test played in Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, could soon be under threat from climate change, a report has suggested.

In the coming decades, extreme heat will eventually make the yearly match a thing of the past, according to Monash University’s Climate Change Communication Research Hub.

“Despite the extensive heat management resources available to professional teams, continuing to play the Boxing Day Test in its current format at the end of December will expose players and fans to unprecedented levels of extreme heat,” a research report said, adding: “If no effective climate mitigation action is taken, consideration should be given to moving the Melbourne Test to the shoulder season.”

The report said that Australian summers would only get hotter, with more days over 35°C in December in the next 40-60 years.

The report suggested that the Boxing Day Test must be moved to either November or March. The study, commissioned by the Australian Conservation Foundation, urges Cricket Australia to use its prominence to push for greater climate action and do more to look after player and spectator welfare.

In 2018, England Captain Joe Root had to be rushed to hospital with severe dehydration during the Sydney Test as temperatures reached 42°C on the pitch. — Agencies