Aaron Finch and Ryan Carters monstered the New Zealand bowling attack with an unbeaten, triple-hundred opening stand to put the Cricket Australia XI in command of their tour match against New Zealand in Sydney on Thursday. Finch smashed an unbeaten 214, his maiden first-class double hundred, and Carters cracked 156 not out to steer the CA XI to 376 without loss off 91 overs at the close on the opening day of the three-day fixture.
Pace spearhead Trent Boult was left out of the New Zealand team after playing in both of their previous tour matches, while Tim Southee left the field with an illness after bowling just three overs and didn't return. The tourists requested the four-day match be reduced to a three-day fixture and they might be wishing it was all over in one as their attack was plundered.
"I don't think I've batted through a day before. It was good to get in there and see off the new ball," said Finch. "It spun quite a bit so, it was quite challenging and then, once we got into a partnership, myself and Ryan, we were able to play a few shots and put a bit of pressure back on them." Finch's innings wasn't without luck. He gave a sharp chance at bat-pad on 24 and another at backward square leg as he closed in on his 150. But Carters' innings was flawless.
The duo started the day sedately on a relatively benign pitch, moving to 34 for no wicket at the first drinks interval and 81 without loss by lunch. They then significantly upped the ante against a struggling Black Caps bowling line-up to post 217 for no wicket at tea and kept their foot on the gas in the final session. The visitors have taken just two wickets across their two red-ball matches on tour so far, after dismissing only two CA XI batsmen in a two-day fixture last week in Canberra.
Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum used nine bowlers on Thursday, including himself. Black Caps quick Matt Henry said the day wouldn't affect the Kiwis' confidence too greatly ahead of the first Test. "I don't think we bowled very poorly - the ball didn't do much," he said.
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