Australia vs New Zealand, 3rd Test at Adelaide, , Nov 27 2015 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
3rd Test (D/N), Adelaide, November 27 - 29, 2015, New Zealand tour of Australia
PrevNext
202 & 208
(T:187) 224 & 187/7

Australia won by 3 wickets

Player Of The Match
3/66 & 6/70
josh-hazlewood
Player Of The Series
592 runs
david-warner
New
AUS 2nd Innings
Full commentary
end of over 512 runs
AUS: 187/7CRR: 3.66 
Peter Siddle9 (12b 1x4)
Mitchell Starc0 (1b)
Tim Southee 16-1-58-0
Trent Boult 16-3-60-5

9.15 pm BT: "An Adelaide Oval Test under clear (if not always blue!) skies only last 3 days? I don't think it is a resounding success, if very popular. The ball dominated too much, but perhaps it is the rebalancing from the big bats of the last 10 years. A bit less grass on the pitch, get it into day 4, let a side score 350 and we have a success. On the other hand, no balls needed replacing!"

I think batsmen's techniques need to get tighter. This pitch was not impossible to bat on - it swung and seamed but the pace and bounce were true. Survival and scoring just required a patience that is increasingly rare in modern batsmen. Was the pink ball harder to see? Was the seam - and consequently the direction in which the ball was going to move - harder to spot? We'll have to ask the batsmen that. I'm sure the details will emerge in the coming days.

Will we see another day-night Test? Sooner rather than later, I imagine. Until the next international game, that's it from the comms team at ESPNcricinfo. Cheers, and thank you for reading.

9.00pm Dardic: "What a test match. Enormous fight shown by NZ at the end there, so much respect for them as an Aussie"

Time for the presentation ...

The Player of the Match, in the first ever day-night Test, is Josh Hazlewood, for taking a career best nine wickets and ensuring that Australia did not miss the injured Starc too much.

Hazlewood: "It was obviously entertaining cricket, harder to bat at night with the ball swinging, very exciting Test, crowds were unbelievable as well. It was more enjoyable to bowl at night, especially if the ball was a bit newer, there was grass on the wicket which helped."

The Player of the Series is David Warner, for making 592 runs in three matches.

Warner: "Was quite challenging to bat, the previous two Tests were tough for the bowlers, great to play here on a wicket with a bit of grass, a bit of swing ... was quite nerve wracking towards the end, Hobart was in our mind a bit ... I think it's about backing myself and keep everything simple, if I try and defend I'll probably get out ..."

Here's Brendon McCullum ...

McCullum: "Was an outstanding game of cricket, completely contrasting to what we had seen previously in the series. The crowd supported it, and as an experiment it went off well ... You're only ever two balls away from being back in the game, so we always kept believeing, unfortunately we came up short but we can shown fighting characteristics in defeat ..."

McCullum on the Lyon review: "Unfortunately that had an impact on the game, would have loved to have a bit more runs .. but got to look at the series at a whole and Australia played well ..."

Australia's captain Steven Smith comes up before going on to receive the trophy.

Smith: "Was obviously a tight finish, great for cricket, last couple of days have been amazing, an exceptional event. It's been great, a bit different from the first two matches dominated by bat, it brought the bowlers into the game, under lights. If you got yourself in you could still score runs ... I just thought if Starc came in and hit one out of the screws that would be it ... Great to see Shaun score runs in his first game back."

And with that, Australia begin their celebrations that will undoubtedly go on late into the night. They have played really well to win this game. To dismiss New Zealand for 208 in the second innings without the services of their best bowler Mitchell Starc was where this Test was won and lost.

Here's Brydon Coverdale's report of an incredibly tense final day. There will be lots of news and analysis and video coming from Daniel Brettig and Melinda Farrel in Adelaide, so stay tuned for that.

8.45 pm The first day-night Test has been a special game. It's been tense throughout, and there's relief and elation on the faces of the Australians as they shake hands with the New Zealand players.

Siddle: "It was a bit nerve wracking out there, I didn't think I would need to bat ... to get the runs to win, a great way to finish. I was trying to hit a boundary but I couldn't get it away ... we thought we were never going to pierce the field! Credit to the boys for digging in and getting the job done ... great support all week, nice to get the job done."

Boult: "An exciting few days ... It was incredible to be honest (about the day-night Test) disappointing not to win ... would have been nice to have a few more runs but we thought 187 was defendable. Full credit to them, they played very well."

Nevill: "Unfortunately I was out (on his dismissal). I might have said some very quiet expletives, very quiet, I hope, to keep my match fee! It was a closely fought match between the two teams and I am sure it was exciting to watch."

Shaun Marsh: "It was tough work, they bowled really well throughout the day. Had to work really hard, happy to have got over the line. I worked really hard over the last few months ..."

Mitchell Marsh: "I got a bit excited, would have been really nice if Shaun and I had finished it off and not left it to anyone else, but glad we got over the line."

50.6
2
Southee to Siddle, 2 runs

there it is! Siddle wins Australia the first ever day night Test by squirting the ball past the diving fielder at point. With all the fielders catching, even Starc has time to hobble the second, with a fractured foot and all. Starc was actually hopping through the second. Siddle raises his arms in grateful triumph after such a tense finish

50.5
Southee to Siddle, no run

the yorker! Siddle does well to dig it out. This is tense, tense stuff here. Can he bowl another dot ball? Can he take a wicket?

Can Southee give Boult another over?

50.4
Southee to Siddle, no run

Siddle backs away and tries to slog through the off side, gets an inside edge on to the leg side

50.3
Southee to Siddle, no run

nudged towards midwicket, there's no chance of a quick single with Starc in the middle

50.2
Southee to Siddle, no run

would you believe it? Siddle nails a straight drive right out of the middle and the ball crashes into the stumps at the bowler's end. Those would have been the winning runs! Warner cannot believe it.

50.1
Southee to Siddle, no run

inside edge on to the pad and the ball lobs up and falls short of the fielder running in and diving from gully!! Was there an edge? no there wasn't. Sorry, getting excited.

Southee to bowl. This could be the last over of the game?

end of over 503 runs • 1 wicket
AUS: 185/7CRR: 3.70 
Mitchell Starc0 (1b)
Peter Siddle7 (6b 1x4)
Trent Boult 16-3-60-5
Tim Southee 15-1-56-0
49.6
Boult to Starc, no run

everyone is in the cordon except the man at cover, Starc drives and finds that fielder

Starc is coming out to bat. He's coming out to swing hard, and the crowd gives him a huge cheer. Starc is going to tee off here ... everyone is in the cordon.

49.5
W
Boult to Nevill, OUT

he's been caught behind! Boult has five for, he has been sensational today! Nevill tried to drive a full ball that slanted across him before bending back big time, the ball grazed the inside edge and Watling dived to his left to take a stunner. Champion performance from Boult, how New Zealand would have loved a little more from Southee today

Peter Nevill c †Watling b Boult 10 (27b 0x4 0x6 49m) SR: 37.03
49.4
Boult to Nevill, no run

pushed off the front foot but he can't get it through the leg side, a fielder in front of square stops it

49.3
Boult to Nevill, no run

good length on an impeccable line, Boult is relentless, giving nothing away, Nevill gets behind the line and defends

49.2
Boult to Nevill, no run

chopped into the ground and towards the slip cordon

49.1
3
Boult to Siddle, 3 runs

edged between third slip and gully! Agony for New Zealand, and they run three, Nevill has the strike. Siddle pushed forward, trying to play towards cover and he edged it between McCullum and Williamson

Boult has a crack at the tail again ...

end of over 492 runs
AUS: 182/6CRR: 3.71 
Peter Nevill10 (23b)
Peter Siddle4 (5b 1x4)
Tim Southee 15-1-56-0
Trent Boult 15-3-57-4
48.6
Southee to Nevill, no run

good length and straight, Nevill moves forward and drives with a straight bat, Southee fields in his follow through

48.5
Southee to Nevill, no run

good length outside off once again, Nevill doesn't play a shot again

48.4
Southee to Nevill, no run

good length and on off stump, defended from the crease quite solidly

48.3
Southee to Nevill, no run

good length outside off, inviting the drive again, Nevill lets it go

48.2
Southee to Nevill, no run

tries to drive a good length ball outside off but gets an inside edge on to the pad

48.1
2
Southee to Nevill, 2 runs

tucked off the pads through square leg, Nevill is a cool head under pressure

Australia need only 7 more. So many what ifs for New Zealand right now. But what if they had just batted a bit better?

end of over 484 runs • 1 wicket
AUS: 180/6CRR: 3.75 
Peter Siddle4 (5b 1x4)
Peter Nevill8 (17b)
Trent Boult 15-3-57-4
Tim Southee 14-1-54-0
47.6
Boult to Siddle, no run

slants across the right-hander from over the wicket, Siddle shoulders arms and hands the hot seat to Nevill

47.5
Boult to Siddle, no run

wide outside the off stump, Siddle lets it go