SCG Test. Australia v. New Zealand.

[K]

Burns was befuddled and dismissed by Astle.

Fleming & Slater were not sympathetic to modern batsmen's inability to pick wrong'uns.

Astle should have picked up Marnus too, but he did a Lyon and dropped a simple caught-and-bowled chance.

..............................................................

I just saw Smith play a front-foot shot. It's a miracle! Unfortunately, it was only shadow-batting in the dressing room.

[K]

And, right on cue, Ponting says this about net practice: He thinks using the throw-down stick in the nets may be why batsmen have no footwork, i.e. can't get on to the front foot. He says the stick throw-downs don't give the usual visual cues, so batsmen can't come forward.

Interesting!

[K]

Play resumes after lunch. Oz 1/172.

132 runs came in the morning session. When will they declare?

Warner is nearing a century (89*).

The AQI at Randwick at 11am was 62 (PM2.5) and 28 (Visibility), but it looks worse than that.

[Donny]

AQI ?

--------------------

Century for Warner.

[K]

Warner reaches his century.

Tim Lane: "And his summer of redemption is complete."

Hmm...

......................................

And 2 or 3 minutes later, Marnus reaches 50 and Oz 200.

[Donny]

1/201.

Warner 102*, Labu 52*.

[K]

AQI ?
...

Air Quality Index.

It's looking very smoggy.

[K]

Marnus holes out looking for quick runs, and Oz declare.

Oz 2/217. Warner 111*, Marnus 59.

NZ are 0/5 without a ball being bowled, chasing 421.

[Donny]

421 ? Not showing up on the scoreboard.

NZ 0/2, needing 414 to win.

[Donny]

Superb catch by Lyon, at point. Starc's wicket.

1/3.

[K]

Starc gets Latham LBW.

Latham reviews. Umpire's call on hitting the stumps.

A bit fortunate there. Ponting & McGrath both felt it was going down legside.

[K]

421 ? Not showing up on the scoreboard.

NZ 0/2, needing 414 to win.

5-run penalty for batsmen running on the pitch. Seven says it's officially added to NZ's first innings, I think.

[Donny]

3/22 as Lyon takes his first wicket.

[K]

Raval caught behind. He reviews and fails.

That must be one of the smallest clear Snicko spikes I've seen. Just as well there wasn't other noise. The rest of the Snicko line was dead flat. It's hard to see anything on Hotspot. It was very faint.

Good decision by Aleem.

[K]

And a repeat in mirror image!

Phillips caught behind off Lyon. Reviews and fails.

This time Llong doesn't wait for Snicko. It was quite a clear edge from just the replay.

An easier decision for Aleem, but that means it was a harder catch for Paine. He's been keeping well this summer.