New Zealand on the slippery slope

New Zealand 251 and 5 for 149 (Oram 40*) need another 315 to beat Australia 8 for 575 dec and 2 for 139 dec (Hayden 54)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Darren Lehmann rushes to congratulate Justin Langer after dismissing Nathan Astle © Getty Images

Australia ended the fourth day's play at Adelaide with the smell of victory in their nostrils, but it was a rather dull affair in which moments to remember were at a premium. At the close, New Zealand, needing an impossible 464 to win, were 5 for 149, but with showers forecast for tomorrow, they still had an outside chance of salvaging a draw.

At tea, when New Zealand were 4 for 36 and facing another second-innings collapse, it was not inconceivable that the match wouldn't need a fifth day. But Nathan Astle and Jacob Oram held fast, attacking when the opportunity arose and surviving against Shane Warne at his fizzing best.

New Zealand's batting so far in this series has not impressed, and the start of their second innings here was no different. With little more than pride to play for - batting out five sessions was never likely - they crumbled, only occasionally showing any stomach for the fight.

Australia's three seamers shared the top three between them. Mathew Sinclair was worked over by Jason Gillespie and then trapped leg-before for 2, Stephen Fleming was bowled off his pad for 3 after deciding to try to play at it far too late (Glenn McGrath didn't see the ball had dislodged a bail and repeatedly pleaded with a smiling Steve Bucknor for the lbw decision), and Mark Richardson's grim resistance ended when he edged Michael Kasprowicz to Justin Langer in the slips for 16.

When, with tea looming, Warne lured Scott Styris into driving and Michael Clarke held the slip catch, the game was as good as up. Styris had just been reprieved off a bat-pad catch, and the send-off he received was a rare moment of aggression on a placid day.

Justin Langer sweeps on his way to 46 © Getty Images

After the break Astle and Oram held fast, and it was something of a surprise when the one post-tea wicket fell to Darren Lehmann, Astle's drive being held one-handed by a diving Langer at short extra-cover. However, the floodgates didn't open, and, in fact, Brendon McCullum showed some rare aggression in the final overs, particularly when he straight drove Warne for successive fours. It was probably doing no more than delaying the inevitable, but it cheered the rather despondent New Zealand contingent.

The whole day was reminiscent of old-style Test cricket with few runs and long periods of attrition. Australia have spoiled us in recent years, but something wasn't quite there today, even though McGrath and Warne were outstanding. It was as if they weren't overly concerned with the outcome and were on cruise control. Had the series been at stake, it is unlikely that they would have been quite so relaxed.

The most bemusing session came in the morning. Resuming on 0 for 57, Matthew Hayden and Langer were occasionally troubled by Daniel Vettori and Paul Wiseman, but there were just enough loose deliveries to keep the scoreboard from seizing up completely. If an early run-fest and then a declaration was widely expected, neither came. The two-hour session produced 78 runs and little excitement.

Langer was almost stumped when he was beaten by Wiseman's turn and left well out of his ground, but McCullum had too much to do and Langer just scrambled back. He had only added another 6 when he tried to sweep Wiseman and was hit in line with off stump. The leg-before decision looked good, but Langer departed with the air of a man who had suffered a gross miscarriage of justice.

Matthew Hayden takes it on the chin on his way to 54 © Getty Images

Hayden reached his fifty, but sustained a painful blow to the chin off a top-edged sweep in the process. He then survived a desperately close shout for leg-before off Vettori, but the same bowler soon got his man when he turned one across Hayden, taking the thinnest edge on the way, and McCullum held the leg-side catch.

Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn did little to up the tempo, and the sight of them resuming after lunch was enough to cause indigestion. But it was mindgames from Ponting. Australia made New Zealand bowl four overs before he declared and ushered in what should have been the denouement.

Martin Williamson is managing editor of Wisden Cricinfo.

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