In-form batsman Kane Williamson carried New Zealand hopes with another fighting half-century at stumps on the second day of the second Test at the WACA Ground on Saturday. After Australia had declared their first innings at 559 for nine, New Zealand were 140 for two in reply on an easy-going pitch.
Williamson was unbeaten on 70, with Ross Taylor on 26 not out, the pair having added 53 runs but the Kiwis still trailing by 419 runs with eight wickets in hand. Put in to bat around 40 minutes before tea, the Kiwis lost both their openers. Martin Guptill was trapped leg before wicket by left-arm quick Mitchell Starc for just one when the score was six. Tom Latham again looked solid in making 36, but Australian captain Steve Smith was rewarded for his decision to bring off-spinner Nathan Lyon back into the attack.
Lyon removed Latham in his first over after tea with Smith taking a sharp catch low to his left. Williamson again looked in total control after scoring 140 and 59 in Brisbane, and his only moments of concern came when his concentration appeared to waver during a short spell by all-rounder Mitchell Marsh provoking him to play a couple of false shots.
One significant setback for Australia during the second day was an apparent hamstring injury suffered by first innings centurion Usman Khawaja. The 28-year-old, who has scored centuries in the two Tests against the Kiwis and made 121 on Friday, pulled up sharply after chasing a ball to the boundary and immediately left the field. He didn't return and Cricket Australia said his injury would be assessed on Sunday. Earlier in the day, New Zealand foiled Australian opener David Warner's bid to break more batting records when they removed him for 253, caught in slips off paceman Trent Boult. Australia, ahead 1-0 in the three-match series after a 208-run win in Brisbane, had resumed at 416 for two, with Warner on 244 and eyeing Matthew Hayden's record WACA score of 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003.
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Scoreboard
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Australia 1st innings (overnight 416-2)
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J. Burns b Henry 40
D. Warner c Craig b Boult 253
U. Khawaja c Latham b Bracewell 121
S. Smith c Watling b Henry 27
A. Voges c Wating b Boult 41
M. Marsh c and b Bracewell 34
P. Nevill st Watling b Craig 19
M. Johnson st Watling b Craig 2
M. Starc c Latham b Craig 0
J. Hazlewood not out 8
N. Lyon not out 4
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Extras: (4lb, 1b, 1w, 4nb) 10
Total: (9 wkts declared; 133 overs) 559
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Fall of wickets: 1-101 (Burns), 2-403 (Khawaja), 3-427 (Warner), 4-462 (Smith), 5-512 (Voges), 6-539 (Marsh), 7-547 (Nevill), 8-547 (Starc), 9-547 (Johnson)
Bowling: Southee 29-6-88-0, Boult 26-2-123-2 (1w), Henry 22-2-105-2, Bracewell 25-1-81-2 (4nb), Craig 23-0-123-3, Williamson 3-0-11-0, Guptill 3-0-7-0, McCullum 2-0-16-0.
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New Zealand 1st innings
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M. Guptill lbw Starc 1
T. Latham c Smith b Lyon 36
K. Williamson not out 70
R. Taylor not out 26
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Extras: (lb4, nb3) 7
Total: (2 wkts, 42 overs) 140
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