New Zealand 2/140 (42ov, Williamson 70*/121b/10x4, Latham 36/ 85b/ 6x4,Taylor 26*/44b/5x4) trail Australia 9/559b (133ov, Warner 253/286b/2x6 24x4, Khawaja 121, Voges 41, Burns 40, Marsh 34, Craig 3/123, Bracewell 2/81, Henry 2/105, Boult 2/123) by 419 with 8 1st inns wkts in hand: T2/3 D2/5 at WACA, Perth.
Once David Warner was dismissed early in the first session - for a magnificent 253- Australia batted on from 3/427 secure in the knowledge that they already had a good score on the board, yet perhaps uncertain of when to declare. When, after a lower order acceleration and consequent gifting of cheap wickets to the long suffering NZ trundlers, the declaration came the Black Caps lost an early wicket but didn't crumble and kept the match alive for another day, or maybe two or three.
Pity that Warner didn't carry on, but 253/286b speaks for itself, and if you'd watched it you'd have twigged that you'd seen a master at the top of his game - and a few years more to improve upon it.
Thereafter there were some glimpses of class from Adam Voges and Mitchell Marsh, and some reckless head in the air batting, but no commanding performances.
That the expected NZ batting collapse didn't happen was due to (you guessed it) Kane Williamson's 70* with support from Tom Latham ( caught off Nathan Lyon for a determined 36) and an initially scratchy but increasingly assured Ross Taylor. The Australian bowlers didn't give too much away, but didn't make the deep incision into the NZ batting body that I'd thought they would. But with a long tail (Mark Craig at #7) and another 369 to make for a 1st inns lead this still looks Australia's Test.
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