AUSTRALIA v NEW ZEALAND 1980-81

At Perth, December 12, 13, 14. Australia won by eight wickets to take the three-match series. For the second Test match running, New Zealand's batsmen capitulated and Australia won in three days. Unusually for Australian selectors, they omitted Lawson after one Test and brought in Hogg. Without their captain Howarth, who had injured his hand fielding in the match against Southern New South Wales a week earlier, New Zealand played Coney and brought in Troup for Brendon Bracewell. Lees, unfit for the first Test, replaced Smith behind the stumps.

Greg Chappell again won the toss and put New Zealand in on a pitch which gave the seam bowlers some movement. New Zealand lost four wickets, those of Edgar, Parker, McEwan and Wright, before lunch on the first day, and after that it was a question of their trying to salvage what they could. A fighting fifth-wicket stand between Coney, who batted extremely well, and Burgess was worth 88, but after Burgess had been caught by Hughes at fourth slip off Lillee, only some brave blows from Hadlee took New Zealand to 196.

When Australia batted Wood was out to the second ball, caught off bat and pad at short leg. Next morning, with New Zealand's seam bowlers also finding a certain amount of movement, Australia, shortly before lunch, were 68 for five. The two old hands, Marsh and Walters, now came together, adding 88 and playing some typically exciting strokes. Man of the Match Marsh was ninth out, 9 runs short of his hundred, having batted three and a half hours and hitting one 6 and eight 4s. When he departed, Australia had a useful first innings lead of 48, which they then took to 69.

This was soon made to look much bigger when New Zealand failed again, first against some tight seam bowling and then against the leg-spin of Higgs, who bowled admirably to finish with four for 25. Australia, left to score 53 to win, lost two wickets getting them, both to Hadlee. New Zealand's batsmen, not their bowlers, were their weakness.