Matt Henry leads Black Caps as Cameron Green lifts Australia on day one of first test

Thursday, 29 February 2024

The Black Caps and Australia played out an even contest on day one of the first test in Wellington.

At the Basin Reserve, Wellington: Australia 279-9 in 85 overs (Cameron Green 103no; Matt Henry 4-43) met the Black Caps. Click here for the full scorecard.

Cameron Green’s unbeaten 103 led Australia to 279-9 at stumps on day one.
Black Caps seamer Matt Henry took 4-43 and was by far their standout performer.
Black Caps captain Tim Southee won the toss and chose to bowl.

The first test between the Black Caps and Australia at the Basin Reserve sits evenly-poised at the end of day one.

But it could have been so much better for the home team, if only standout seamer Matt Henry had received a bit more support.

The right-armer took 4-43 off 20 overs and was by far the most consistent and threatening of the New Zealand quartet as Australia made it to 279-9 at stumps.

Will O’Rourke and Scott Kuggeleijn – both playing their second test – took 2-59 off 20 and 2-56 off 17 respectively, but were a mixed bag when it came to accuracy.

Black Caps seamer Matt Henry celebrates one of his four wickets on the first day of the first test against Australia at the Basin Reserve.

There were times when O’Rourke looked a real handful, especially when he got his speed up over 140kph – something Kuggeleijn never did – but there were also times when his radar was well off, with a few nerves perhaps showing.

Captain Tim Southee meanwhile finished the day wicketless, taking 0-68 off 20 as Australia rebounded from being 89-4 just after lunch and 176-6 just after tea, largely thanks to an unbeaten 103 from all-rounder Cameron Green.

Play will resume on Friday with the Black Caps needing to wrap the Australian innings up quickly before shifting into batting mode.

On a gloomy Wellington morning, the toss at 10.30am on Thursday loomed as the first pivotal moment. Southee won it and chose to bowl, extending the Black Caps’ streak of doing so after winning the toss at home to a 23rd match.

That was almost the only thing that went right until just before lunch, when Henry had Steve Smith caught behind by Tom Blundell, diving in front of first slip, for 31 – the only wicket to fall in the opening session.

Black Caps seamer Will O’Rourke had a mixed bag of a first day against Australia in his second test.

Smith’s first-wicket partnership with Usman Khawaja lasted 24.1 overs and was worth 61 runs. None of the 22 before it during the hosts’ streak of sending teams in had lasted that long, while only one had been worth more runs – Bangladesh’s stand of 75 in Wellington in 2019.

That summed up the Black Caps’ position at the first break, with Australia 62-1. They hadn’t got the rewards they usually had in similar situations over the past decade or so, and were possibly left to rue not bowling fuller, though Henry didn’t think so at the end of play.

Marnus Labuschagne made his way to one off 26 balls after lunch before edging Kuggeleijn to Daryl Mitchell at second slip, with Henry – bowling Khawaja for 31 with an inswinger – and O’Rourke – getting a nervous Travis Head caught behind for one – making further inroads to leave Australia 89-4.

Mitch Marsh led Australia’s counter-attack, in conjunction with Green. After being 28-3 in the 14.3 overs between lunch and drinks, they were 58-0 in the 11.3 overs between drinks and tea, effectively cancelling out New Zealand’s good work.

Having done that, Marsh then threw his wicket away after tea, top-edging a pull off Henry and giving Blundell a simple catch as he departed for 40 off just 39 balls.

Kuggeleijn then got Alex Carey to hit the ball straight to Kane Williamson at cover on 10 and Australia were 176-6, with their bowlers exposed.

Mitchell Starc fell for nine, caught by Tom Latham at second slip off O’Rourke, while Pat Cummins coudn’t last until the new ball arrived after 80 overs, falling LBW to Ravindra for 16, two balls after hitting him for six in the 79th.

Southee would have had a wicket, had Williamson not dropped a one-handed chance off Nathan Lyon in the 81st over, but Henry accounted for the spinner soon after, while Green reached three figures in the final over of the day.

It was probably still the Black Caps’ best first day in a test against Australia since Hamilton in March 2010, where they rolled their opponents for 231, then finished at 19-1, before ultimately going on to lose. It just could have been so much better.