New Zealand v Australia First Test Report Card, Day Three

Featuring breezy Wellington, twicelings and urinal eyeline windows

Breezy Wellington
Grade: B

Nathan Lyon began the third day by amassing a breezy 41 (46). This, I believe, is why the locals call the city ‘breezy Wellington’.

With Lyon showing the way with the bat, it looked likely to be a day in which Australia worked their way to a sensible lead of 500 before sending New Zealand back in to bat in the final session.

Realising this, Tim Southee threw the ball to Glenn Phillips. He tore through the Australian batting, as the Australians fell from 81/3 to 139/7, with Phillips taking the wickets of Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey.

Could Pat Cummins counteract Southee’s bold captaincy? Of course. The answer was right in front of him. Like, literally, sitting right in front of him, thoughtlessly obscuring his view of the collapse.

Send Josh Hazlewood in. 

Stop the rot.