Steve Smith’s fifty for Australia frustrates New Zealand on day one of Boxing Day Test

Australia skipper Steve Smith acknowledges the applause for his half-century at the MCG

Steve Smith struck an unbeaten half-century to guide Australia to 257-4 on day one of the Boxing Day Test against New Zealand.

SCORECARD | COMMENTARY

Smith improved his average at the MCG to 148.83 from seven matches by reaching 77 not out in front of a crowd of nearly 80,000 people.

The visitors, thumped in the first Test of the series by 296 runs, opted to field first on an overcast day and struck early when paceman Trent Boult – recalled for the injured Lockie Ferguson – bowled Joe Burns for a duck.

David Warner (41) and Marnus Labuschagne (63) countered with a 60-run partnership in the morning session, riding their luck as they played and missed against New Zealand’s probing attack.

Opener Warner fell before lunch when he nicked seamer Neil Wagner (1-40) to the slips where Tim Southee took a diving one-handed chance.

Smith, who is pushing toward 1,000 runs in 2019 in only his eighth match of the year, added 83 for the third wicket with Labuschagne who was bowled in unfortunate fashion by Colin de Grandhomme, the ball ricocheting into his stumps via a deflection off his elbow.

Again – the floodgates did not open as Matthew Wade added 72 with Smith, who was more than happy with his side’s display.

“There’s a nice little patch on the four-five metre mark [on the pitch] and if you hit that consistently the balls were doing funny things,” he reflected. “It’s not the kind of wicket you could go after them. I think we did pretty well today.”

Boult’s return was one of two changes for New Zealand, the other seeing wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Blundell coming in for the dropped opener Jeet Raval, while Australia recalled paceman James Pattinson to replace the injured Josh Hazlewood.

Source: Read Full Article