Australia took a commanding 243-run lead over plucky New Zealand in the third Test in Sydney on Sunday, looking set for a clean sweep of the series. The Australians dismissed the Black Caps for 251 to lead by 203 runs on the first innings before batting a second time in a bid to build an overwhelming total with two days remaining.

At stumps on day three, the hosts were 40 without loss with David Warner on 23 and Joe Burns not out 16, and were expected to bat on for some time on the fourth day.

Off-spinner Nathan Lyon captured five for 68 to lead the Australian bowling attack, with Kiwi Test debutant Glenn Phillips top-scoring with a charmed knock of 52. "We're in a very good position here," said Lyon, who has now taken a career 385 Test wickets. "A lot of work to do in the morning and we have to see what lead we the batsmen want to get to.

"It is pretty special to play here in front of your home crowd, in front of your family and friends. Nice to go up on the honours board." Phillips, who only flew in on the eve of the Test as cover for a team weakened by a virus outbreak, was dropped twice and given a reprieve when caught off a no-ball.

Lyon put down the two caught-and-bowled chances when Phillips was on two and 17. The Kiwi batsman dodged another bullet on 28 when he was caught by Travis Head at deep midwicket only to be recalled when James Pattinson was found to have over-stepped for a no-ball.

Phillips hit a cracking pull shot off Pat Cummins to raise his debut half-century before Cummins got him two balls later, ripping through his defences to take off-stump for 52. Lyon bowled Will Somerville and Neil Wagner for ducks and fast bowler Matt Henry came out to bat despite fracturing his left hand earlier in the match.

Henry ducked out of the way of a couple of Mitchell Starc thunderbolts directed at his body before he was stumped off Lyon's bowling to end the New Zealand innings.

Bushfires backdrop

It was the longest innings of a disastrous lost series for the Kiwis, bettering the 71 overs they faced in the second innings of the second Test in Melbourne. The Black Caps lost three wickets in the middle session with the experienced Ross Taylor out lbw to Cummins for 22 in the second over after lunch.

Taylor remains 20 runs away from becoming the highest-scoring New Zealand batsman in Tests, behind Stephen Fleming (7,172).

The Sydney Test is being played against the backdrop of one of Australia's most devastating bushfire seasons, with at least 24 people losing their lives in blazes raging across the country, including on the outskirts of Sydney. Play will be suspended in the match at the umpire's discretion, should smoke significantly affect air quality or visibility, but the sky above the ground has remained largely clear so far.-AFP

SCOREBOARD

Australia 1st innings 454 (M. Labuschagne 215, S. Smith 63; N. Wagner 3-66, C. de Grandhomme 3-78)

==============================================
New Zealand 1st innings (overnight 63-0)
==============================================
T. Latham c Starc b Cummins                 49
T. Blundell b Lyon                          34
J. Raval lbw Lyon                           31
R. Taylor lbw Cummins                       22
G. Phillips b Cummins                       52
B. Watling b Starc                           9
C de Grandhomme run out (Wade/Paine)        20
T. Astle not out                            25
W. Somerville b Lyon                         0
N. Wagner b Lyon                             0
M. Henry st Paine b Lyon                     3
----------------------------------------------
Extras: (b1, lb4, nb1)                       6
==============================================
Total: (all out; 95.4 overs)               251
==============================================

Fall of wickets: 1-68 (Blundell), 2-117 (Raval), 3-117 (Latham), 4-145 (Taylor), 5-163 (Watling), 6-195 (de Grandhomme), 7-235 (Phillips), 8-237 (Somerville), 9-237 (Wagner), 10-251 (Henry) Bowling: Starc 21-1-57-1, Cummins 22-6-44-3, Pattinson 16-3-58-0 (1nb), Lyon 30.4-10-68-5, Labuschagne 4-0-8-0, Head 2-0-1-0

==============================================
Australia 2nd innings
==============================================
D. Warner not out                           23
J. Burns not out                            16
----------------------------------------------
Extras: (1lb)                                1
==============================================
Total: (0 wkt; 16 overs)                    40
==============================================

Bowling: Henry 5-2-11-0, de Grandhomme 3-1-9-0, Wagner 4-1-12-0, Somerville 4-0-7-0

Toss: Australia

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK), Marais Erasmus (RSA)

TV umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG)

Match referee: Richie Richardson (WIS).