Australia’s batting woes continued in the second Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval, but Marnus Labuschagne’s gritty 90 provided a glimmer of hope. Resuming on 124 for 4, Australia lost four wickets in the morning session to reach lunch at 221 for 8, leading by 59 runs.
Matt Henry continued his impressive form, claiming another five-wicket haul to take his tally to 10 wickets in the match. The New Zealand paceman has been a constant threat, exploiting the movement on offer.
Labuschagne, who had endured a lean patch in recent months, showed signs of his class with a determined innings. He anchored the Australian innings, countering the movement by getting across the stumps and hitting into his favored on-side.
Despite his efforts, Labuschagne fell agonisingly short of a century when he was caught at gully by Glenn Phillips off Tim Southee’s bowling. His dismissal was a major blow to Australia, who have struggled to build partnerships throughout the series.
Nathan Lyon, the nightwatchman, made a valuable contribution with the bat, scoring 20 before edging Henry to Daryl Mitchell. Mitchell Marsh also fell cheaply, trapped on the crease by Henry.
Debutant Ben Sears claimed the wicket of Steven Smith, but was unable to unsettle Labuschagne. Offspinner Glenn Phillips dismissed Alex Carey with a poorly executed paddle stroke, putting further pressure on the Australian wicketkeeper.
With Josh Inglis waiting in the wings, Carey’s place in the team is under scrutiny. Australia will need to bat aggressively in the afternoon session to build a substantial lead and put pressure on New Zealand.
