Advantage Australia as NZ top order collapses: T1D1

New Zealand 5/176 (51 ov, Vettori 45*) v Australia: T1/2 D1/5 at The Gabba Brisbane

Old Kiwi hand and late blooming batter Daniel Vettori in an 80* run 6th wicket partnership with newcomer Dean Brownlie has (sort of) restored New Zealand's position from a perilous 5/96 which threatened to make this Test a short one.

James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc both had success, even if they, especially  Pattinson, at times betrayed their debutants' nervousness. Not surprisingly it was the relative veteran Peter Siddle who kept things in check, taking the first wicket of the innings at 44 and thereafter keeping things fairly tight.

Thanks to Vettori's pugnacious 45*/66b (3x4)  and Brownlie's more measured 32*/89b (4x4)  NZ are still in with a chance...of keeping some interest in the match. Victory for them is, on today's showing, far away while a draw seems likeliet if there is further inference from the weather. .

Update 2 December

Apologies for omitting the link to the scorecard Click herefor it.

Gideon Haigh  is reporting the Test for The Australian . Need I say more? Worth reading.