Six second-innings wickets from Nathan Lyon has spun Australia to a 172-run victory in the first Test against New Zealand at Wellington.
But while it was Lyon with much of the spoils, the reality is it was a sensational all-round bowling performance from the Aussies on the fourth morning.
Lyon finished with 6-65 for match figures of 10-108, to go with his top-scoring 42 as nightwatchman in Australia’s second innings.
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AS IT HAPPENED: New Zealand v Australia first Test day four
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He was perhaps a little unlucky to be overlooked for player of the match honours, which went to Cameron Green for his scintillating 174 not out in the first innings, which set Australia well on the path for victory.
While obviously pleased with the result, skipper Pat Cummins suggested the match was a closer contest than the result might suggest.
“We had our moments, but it was a really good game overall – I never felt like we were too far in front on that wicket,” he said in the presentation.
“Seeing how green it was, it was really bouncy, had a bit of pace in it, but it had as much bounce as I’ve seen on any wicket for a long time.
“And then thankfully it spun, which with Nathan (Lyon) in our side is always a pretty good thing.”
Cummins said Green’s innings was the biggest difference between the two sides.
“You look at the trend of the game, I think the next score is about 50 or and he’s obviously put on 170-odd not out,” he said.
“I thought the way he went about his innings, as well as that intent really put the pressure back on the bowlers on day one.”
Chasing an unlikely 369 for victory, the Black Caps lost 7-86 on the fourth morning having resumed at 3-111, with Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell at the crease.
Having survived the first half-hour without a scare, a triple blow from Lyon marked the beginning of the end.
Rachin Ravindra had been looking to cut the Aussie through the point region all morning, and finally holed out to Cameron Green at point.
Three balls later, Lyon had Tom Blundell trudging back to the pavilion for a duck, caught at short leg.
Then in his next over, Glenn Phillips – the Black Cap’s hero from a day earlier – was on his way back for 1, given out lbw when he went back and across his stumps and missed a straight one.
Strangely, he and Daryl Mitchell down the other end elected to send the decision upstairs, perhaps hoping he’d somehow got some bat on ball.
When replays showed daylight between willow and leather, he was walking off the field before the three red lights had even lit up.
Green was the next bowler to get in on the act when he got one to rear off a length and smack Scott Kuggeleijn in the gloves. Alex Carey had ample time to run around and complete the catch.
There was a brief delay while Mitchell – who provided the only real resistance for the Black Caps on the fourth morning – was checked for concussion symptoms after a vicious Green bouncer smoked him flush on the helmet.
Matt Henry was the next to fall, when he went fishing outside off stump, an edge flying to Steve Smith at second slip off Hazlewood’s bowling.
Black Caps skipper Tim Southee was Lyon’s last wicket, holing out to Mitchell Starc at long-on as he tried to hit the spinner into Wellington Harbour.
Daryl Mitchell was the last man to fall – spooning a simple return catch to Josh Hazlewood as he, too, tried to put him over the fence.
Southee said the squad would spend the next few days conducting a post mortem of sorts before the second Test in Christchurch.
“We’ll reflect on this, we’ll debrief it and move to a different ground, with a different surface – a ground we’ve had a lot of success at,” he said.
“We’ll prepare in Christchurch, but we have a couple of days here to reflect on this week.”
The second Test begins on Friday.
