Astle's triumph clouded as bowlers battle again

As metaphors go, they were pretty telling.

In perfect sunshine at the 'Gabba at the start of the second day of this tour match between Queensland and New Zealand, Nathan Astle (223) continued his near-remorseless assault on the home team's bowlers.

Yet, as a chain of storm clouds began to brew at the end of a steamy afternoon, so the murky problem that continues to plague the tourists reared its ugly head again.

Astle remained a tower of strength in the morning session, not only outlasting Adam Parore (30) and Glen Sulzberger (0) at the other end but also rearranging several individual and collective milestones.

He steadily pushed his score into unchartered territory, rendering Martin Crowe's hand of 188 in 1985-86 (previously the highest score by a New Zealander at the 'Gabba) the first major landmark to be overhauled.

Astle's domination of the attack had already extended into a seventh hour by the time that he then moved past both his own previous first-class best of 191 and 6000 first-class runs in total.

Just for good measure, he quickly proceeded to square cut the 333rd delivery of his innings, an off cutter from Michael Kasprowicz (0/118), to the point boundary to reach his first-ever double century at this level as well.

But, where Astle's voracious run scoring had given the Kiwis a position of early ascendancy, the tourists' total of 9/444 - reached before a mid-afternoon declaration - soon began to be placed in better context.

Admittedly, there remained little on offer for bowlers in the pitch. But the sternest examination of the New Zealanders' readiness for next week's First Test against Australia was always likely to arrive when their attack swung into action. The Kiwis have so far been unable to take ten wickets in an innings at any stage of the tour and, in coming face-to-face with a talented batting line-up, the early results of this battle were not encouraging either.

Queensland openers Matthew Hayden (56*) and Jimmy Maher (47) were not discernibly bothered by anything offered to them in a 64-run association that spanned either side of the tea break, both defending and attacking with minimal risk.

Maher, in particular, slaughtered loose deliveries. And such commodities seemed to be in ever-increasing supply once the shine started to disappear from the new ball. There was a classic cover drive at Chris Cairns (0/23); a thunderous hook and off drive at Chris Martin (0/35), and several superb straight drives from the bowling of Shayne O'Connor (0/28).

Even across an increasingly damp outfield, many of Hayden's drives also showed few signs of slowing in their passage to the boundary.

When Maher ultimately gifted away his wicket - charging, driving and missing as he attempted to smear a delivery from Sulzberger (1/52) to the boundary for the third time in the spinner's opening over - it resembled something of an act of mercy.

Martin Love (33*) quickly took up the slack upon replacing his teammate at the crease, albeit that his elegant approach was briefly curtailed by a flurry of rain that forced a five minute recess in the action.

Matthew Bell had missed a tough, low chance at point as Maher (on 32) drove uppishly, and a shy at the stumps of the scurrying Love (on 13) flew wide when a minute window of a run out opportunity existed.

Otherwise, there was not a single semblance of alarm for the batsmen. And even Astle couldn't intervene this time, forced off the field as he was because of a minor groin strain.

The Queenslanders still require a further 155 runs to avoid the follow-on when they resume in the morning. But either they would have to bat very poorly, or New Zealand's attack would have to produce a major reversal of form, to make the prospect of successive Queensland innings a reality.