New Zealand pray for rain to thwart Australia

New Zealand's shattered cricketers are looking to Wellington's fickle weather to help them salvage a draw from the second Test against Australia after they were left with a 326-run deficit at the end of the first innings Monday. The home side's innings in the rain-disrupted match ended at 244 just on tea on the fourth day in reply to Australia's 570 for eight declared.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting enforced the follow on, but as openers Craig Cumming and Stephen Fleming prepared to return to the wicket the rain came again and play was abandoned for the day.
New Zealand now need to bat out the final day, weather permitting, to avoid going 2-0 down in the three-Test series.
"We're going to go out tonight and do some dancing - rain-dancing. Hopefully it's still raining tomorrow," said New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent.
"We're up against a pretty awesome attack and you've just got to soak up the pressure."
But that is not going to be easy, for not only has the weather been dismal, so too has the New Zealand resistance. Their first innings lasted just 81 overs and 98 overs are scheduled for the final day.
Michael Kasprowicz is backing Australia's bowling juggernaut to do the job.
"It's a bit of guesswork, the weather round here. I think we back ourselves to make some early impact and then keep doing our thing," he said. Only Vincent and Daniel Vettori emerged with credit from New Zealand's innings as Kasprowicz and Shane Warne cut the batting to pieces.
After sitting out the Monday morning session because of rain, New Zealand resumed their first innings after lunch at 122 for four.
Vincent and night watchman James Franklin cautiously steered their way forward in a 58-run partnership, but the rot set in when Franklin was dismissed for 26 with the score on 166.
Despite some late and lusty hitting by Vettori who cracked 45 including eight fours from 63 balls, New Zealand lost their last six wickets for 78, with Kasprowicz moving to 99 Test victims.
He made the first breakthrough of the day with a reverse swing ball that enticed Franklin to hang out the bat to be caught by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.
Vincent reached his seventh Test half-century off 115 balls before Kasprowicz removed him in similar fashion, sparring outside off stump, for 63 in 199 minutes.
Warne then removed Brendon McCullum and Craig McMillan in quick succession for three and 20 respectively, both to loose leg-side shots.
Iain O'Brien came and went for five, bowled by Gillespie, and then a valiant Chris Martin joined Vettori in a 10th wicket stand of 32 in which Martin faced 16 balls and did not score a run.
Kasprowicz ended with three for 42 while Warne bowled 28.1 overs and had three for 69.
SCOREBOARD
AUSTRALIA (1st innings): 570-8 dec (D. Martyn 165, A. Gilchrist 162, S.Warne 50 n.o: Franklin 4-128):
NEW ZEALAND (1st innings):

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C. Cumming b Kasprowicz                  37

S. Fleming lbw McGrath                    0

H. Marshall c Gillespie b McGrath        18

L. Vincent c Gilchrist b Kasprowicz      63

N. Astle c Warne b Clarke                 9

J. Franklin c Gilchrist b Kasprowicz     26

C. McMillan b Warne                      20

B. McCullum c Clarke b Warne              3

D. Vettori c Martyn b Warne              45

I. O'Brien b Gillespie                    5

C. Martin not out                         0

EXTRAS: (B-4, LB-8, W-1, NB-5)           18

TOTAL: (all out)                        244

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