Lyon stars as Oz dominate Pink Test

Sydney, January 5

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Nathan Lyon took 5/68 as a dominant Australia dismissed New Zealand for 251 before the home batsmen took over to extend their lead to 243 by the close of play on the third day of the third and final Test. Already 0-2 down in the series after thumping defeats in Perth and Melbourne, New Zealand now face a huge battle to avoid a third heavy loss before they head home.

Openers David Warner (23) and Joe Burns (16) steered the hosts to 40/0 at stumps to set the base for a big total.

Misfortunes

Lyon ended the New Zealand innings when he had Matt Henry stumped for 3 off 15 balls. Henry batted despite breaking the thumb on his non-bowling hand on Day 1 of the match, the latest in a catalogue of misfortune that robbed the tourists of captain Kane Williamson and a string of other top players. Glenn Phillips offered the most resistance with a 52 on his Test debut. The 23-year-old enjoyed some luck when he was dropped twice by the normally reliable Lyon and again just before tea when he was caught in the deep off a James Pattinson no ball. He brought up his maiden half-century with a brilliant pull shot through square but two balls later was bowled by paceman Pat Cummins, who took 3/44 to show once again why he is the world’s top-ranked Test bowler. The conditions today were much cooler than on the second day but there was a distinct smell of smoke in the air from the bushfires. — Reuters

Brief Scores: Australia: 454 and 40/0 (Warner 23*, Burns 16*); New Zealand: 251 (Phillips 52; Latham 49, Lyon 5/68, Cummins 3/44)

Nathan’s 17th

Off-spinner Nathan Lyon carried the ball off the pitch to huge applause an hour after tea after he had Matt Henry stumped. Lyon thus achieved the 17th five-wicket haul of his career, but the first against New Zealand.

Lyon’s 5-fors, team-wise

7 vs India

3 vs Bangladesh

2 vs England

1 vs Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand

12 The Sydney Cricket Ground was turned pink for the 12th straight year in aid of cricketing great Glenn McGrath’s breast cancer foundation

5 TH Time in series Australia took all the 10 New Zealand wickets