A rollicking day of Test cricket to start the much-anticipated series between New Zealand and Australia, as Cameron Green answered the call from his side with a memorable ton and Matt Henry was the hosts’ pick of the quicks.

The captain of the Black Caps, Tim Southee, chose to bowl first on a pitch with a lot of grass. However, the Australian opening batsmen, Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja, managed to reach 61 runs without losing any wickets. Smith was removed from the field after scoring 31 runs, and soon after, Marnus Labuschagne (1) and Travis Head (1) also struggled to make an impact.

Mitch Marsh (40) took charge while Green played a supporting role, but New Zealand regained control when Marsh was out and the score became 156-5. Green then increased his pace, but with dwindling support, and reached his second Test century with three boundaries in the final over of the day. He ended the day unbeaten on 103, with the total at 279-9.

Unfortunately, New Zealand was unable to limit Australia’s overall score to approximately 200 points. However, the even level of play during the day has created a promising setup for tomorrow’s game, which is definitely worth tuning in for.

Please come back later as we provide updates on every over from the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

The 85th over of the day saw Australia reach a total of 279-9, with Green scoring 103 and Hazlewood at 0. Despite challenging conditions, Green managed to secure his second Test century with three boundaries off O’Rourke in the final over before stumps. It was a significant achievement for Green.

Cameron Green celebrates a remarkable hundred – his first since being promoted to bat at No 4 and only his second century in Test cricket – with a powerful cut shot to the boundary. It has been a remarkably disciplined innings from the 24-year-old, who showed great judgement in knowing when to be patient and when to be aggressive. He reached his hundred in 154 deliveries. With No 11 batsman Josh Hazlewood as his batting partner and O’Rourke bowling the final over of the day, Green ensured he crossed the milestone before stumps with three impressive boundaries.

In the 84th over, Australia’s score is 267-9 with Green at 91 and Hazlewood at 0. Green is picking up speed and skillfully cuts Henry’s delivery over the slips for four runs. He follows it up with a smooth drive through mid-wicket for three more. Unfortunately, Lyon is unable to continue batting and Australia only has Hazlewood left to bat while Green sets his sights on his second Test century.

Henry comes in with an excellent pitch and manages to find an edge off Lyon, who had to play at that ball.

At the 83rd over mark, Australia’s score stands at 260-8 with Green at 84 runs and Lyon at 5 runs. There is an appeal for lbw from the Black Caps team against Lyon, but the umpire dismisses it quickly. New Zealand hesitantly uses their final review but the ball hitting Lyon’s pads appears to be above the knee roll. Lyon, who remains calm, follows with a well-executed drive past Southee for four runs.

“In the 82nd over, Australia is at 256-8 with Green scoring 84 runs and Lyon scoring 1 run. As expected, Henry is now taking the second new ball. Green starts off with a single, while Lyon seems confident in handling any full pitches. The last ball of the over results in a leading edge that causes some trouble for mid-off but it ultimately flies over his head.”

Australia is at 254-8 in the 81st over. Southee takes the second new ball and Green seems eager for it, hitting the first two balls for boundaries with a straight drive and a shot through point. Lyon is given the last two deliveries, but despite Southee finding an edge, Williamson was unable to catch it at third slip while diving to his right. This serves as a reminder to Green and Australia that he should focus on getting the strike to maintain their score.

In the 80th over, the score for Australia is 245-8 (Green 74, Lyon 0). Green demonstrates his trust in tailender Nathan Lyon by taking a single on the second ball. Lyon, the experienced Australian player, resists four deliveries from Mitchell to keep in the game. The new ball is now an option, and it’s likely that the Black Caps will choose to use it.

In the 79th over of the match, Australia’s score is at 244 for 8 wickets, with Green at 73 and Lyon at 0. Cummins takes a swing at Ravindra’s delivery and effortlessly hits a wide ball over the spinner’s head. However, Ravindra gets his revenge just two balls later by taking out the Australian captain with his 10th Test wicket.

After receiving a good length ball, Cummins tries to block it but misses and is struck on his back pad. The umpire immediately raises their finger to indicate an out, and although the Australian captain requests a review, he begins to walk off the field as replays reveal that there was no slight touch on the ball to save him. Although Cummins played a valuable innings, it seems that the responsibility now falls on Green to continue the game.

In the 78th over, Australia has a score of 237-7 with Green at 72 and Cummins at 10. The Black Caps are strategically waiting for the second new ball, as Daryl Mitchell makes a comeback into the match. If a wicket were to occur, it would seem like a clever tactic to tempt Australia into a risky shot. However, Green and Cummins are smoothly scoring one and two runs instead.

In the 77th over, Australia’s score is 234-7 with Green at 71 runs and Cummins at 8 runs. New Zealand continues to use Ravindra, despite him not posing much danger. The two Australian players score a single each, keeping the scoreboard moving.

In the 76th over, Australia’s score is 232-7 with Green at 70 runs and Cummins at 7 runs. O’Rourke and Green are engaged in a captivating duel, with the New Zealand bowler relentlessly attacking while Green chooses his shots wisely. This over ends without any runs scored.

In the 75th over, Australia’s score is 232-7 with Green at 70 runs and Cummins at 7 runs. Cummins hits a six by accurately tracking the ball’s trajectory and confidently hitting it down the field, making it possibly the best shot of the day. It seems that Ravindra is struggling on the pitch, making New Zealand wonder if they made the wise decision to let Cummins adjust to the spin of the inexperienced bowler.

In the 74th over, Australia’s score is 223-7 with Green at 68 and Cummins at 0. Green aggressively attacks O’Rourke’s bowling and scores two boundaries off wide deliveries. He continues to play with confidence and collects three more runs by driving the ball through the cover area.

In the 73rd over of the innings, Australia’s score is 212-7 with Green at 57 and Cummins on 0. New Zealand has decided to switch to a spin attack by giving the ball to Rachin Ravindra. The left-arm spinner begins his spell around the wicket and Green responds by sweeping for a single. Cummins prefers to stay in his position and defend the remaining five deliveries, while the Black Caps have opted to rest their pacers before the second new ball becomes available.

The 72nd over begins with Australia at 211-7. Green, who is batting at 56, is joined by Cummins as Starc is dismissed. This is Cummins’ first innings in a Test match in New Zealand. Despite a fiery delivery from O’Rourke at a speed of 140 kmh, Cummins appears comfortable at the crease.

Starc was caught at second slip with a thick edge. He had no other option but to play at it, while O’Rourke successfully took the wicket with some aggressive bowling after tea. Starc scored nine runs in a steady innings, taking 33 balls to do so and helping Australia reach a total of 200. His arrival at the crease had cast doubt on whether they would even reach that milestone.

In the 71st over, Australia’s score is 211-6 with Green at 56 and Starc at 9. Green’s pull shot is not well-timed, giving New Zealand a glimmer of hope, but it bounces safely off the top edge. Kuggeleijn tries to trouble Starc with a short ball, but it doesn’t pose much of a challenge.

At the 70th over mark, Australia’s score is 206-6 with Green scoring 53 and Starc scoring 8. Green hits two boundaries – the first towards the leg-side and the second almost within Southee’s reach – bringing Australia’s score past 200. Both players have been displaying confidence in their batting since Carey’s dismissal, as Australia aims to recover from their previous setback.

Cameron Green experiences a momentary rush of anxiety when his straight shot is almost caught by Black Caps captain Tim Southee. However, Southee is not able to react quickly enough and the ball ends up going for four runs. Green then raises his bat in appreciation as the audience applauds his impressive performance.

The versatile player currently holds a record of scoring seven scores between 50 and 99 (and one score of 100 or more) in 27 Test matches. He aims to solidify his position as a No. 4 batsman.

69th over: Australia’s score is now 197-6, with Green at 44 runs and Starc at 8 runs. The atmosphere at Basin Reserve is intense as Neil Wagner, known for his aggressive short balls, joins the New Zealand team. Kuggeleijn follows Wagner’s style by throwing a few short balls to Starc, but Australia is able to reach the drinks break without losing any more wickets.

In the 68th over, Australia’s score is at 196-6 with Green at 43 runs and Starc at 8 runs. Starc manages to hit a boundary off a pitch that is just behind a good length while Southee focuses on his usual spot outside the off-stump. Green almost hits a second consecutive boundary with a straight drive, but unfortunately he can’t avoid hitting his teammate and apologizes for it.

In the 67th over of the match, Australia’s score is 192 for 6 wickets. Green, who is currently batting on 43 runs, is hitting his shots accurately. He confidently hit a full delivery back towards Kuggeleijn, which was only stopped by Starc’s helmet before reaching the boundary. Green didn’t seem fazed by the three bouncers bowled during the over, calmly ducking under each of them.

In the 66th over, the score for Australia is 188-6 with Green at 39 runs and Starc at 4 runs. Southee replaces O’Rourke and begins bowling around the wicket to Starc. It seems that both Southee and Kuggeleijn are strategically targeting the fifth stump outside off. Starc manages to handle the expected short ball and scores a single, while Green also seems at ease as he cuts or hits the ball to the leg-side.

The 65th over has just started and the Australian team’s score is 184-6 with Green scoring 36 runs and Starc scoring 3 runs. Kuggeleijn is aiming for a good length and placing his pitches just outside the off side, possibly hoping to lure Starc into making a bad shot. However, Starc manages to hit a single through the leg-side.

“In the 64th over, Australia’s score is 183-6 with Green at 36 runs and Starc at 2 runs. O’Rourke is aggressively bowling a series of short balls to Starc, possibly sensing an opportunity for a wicket. One unexpected delivery zooms past Starc and Blundell, earning five wides. Despite this, Southee seems content with the attacking approach from O’Rourke.”

In the 63rd over, Australia has a score of 177 runs for 6 wickets with Green (36) and Starc (1) at the crease. Kuggeleijn’s change of ends has been effective for New Zealand as Starc struggles to make contact with the ball. However, he manages to score a run with an inside edge on the final ball.

Without Carey on the team and Australia behind in points, this presents the perfect opportunity for Cameron Green to showcase his potential with a high-scoring game.

Kuggeleijn switches sides to take the place of Henry and swiftly secures a wicket against Australia for the first time – all thanks to Carey’s careless shot. It was as if Carey purposely aimed for Williamson at cover, giving him an easy catch without having to move much as the former New Zealand captain.

At the 62nd over mark, Australia’s score is 176-5 with Green at 36 and Carey at 10. O’Rourke has been performing well since tea and is now causing some difficulty for Carey with the wicket. The initial delivery hits Carey’s shoulder and he is eager to switch sides. A ball that is too short goes over Green and Blundell is far from making contact with it, resulting in four byes for Australia.

In the 61st over, Australia’s score stands at 171-5 with Green at 36 runs and Carey at 9 runs. Henry bowls to Green as the intensity increases. Green is struggling to get onto the front foot, but Henry’s final delivery almost catches an edge before the movement off the pitch becomes too much. It’s a maiden over.

60th over: Australia 171-5 (Green 36, Carey 9) Green cops another nasty blow off the bowling of O’Rourke, this time from a short ball that pummels into his left arm. No hiding the pain this time as Green shakes it off. The New Zealand pacers are on top here but Tim Southee will need to have one eye on the over-rate with the 60th over just bowled well after tea and World Test Championship points potentially at risk.

In the 59th over at Basin Reserve, Australia is currently at 170-5 with Green at 36 and Carey at 9. Henry puts on an impressive performance and nearly catches Carey at slip. Despite the efforts of fielder Glenn Phillips, the ball narrowly misses the boundary and Carey ends up scoring two runs before adding another two with a well-placed shot through gully.

In the 58th over, Australia’s score is 166-5 with Green at 36 runs and Carey at 5. O’Rourke prepares to bowl as New Zealand makes a substitution, hoping to maintain their lead. He sends three balls across Carey, but he manages to find a gap beyond point. Green avoids a bouncer but struggles to defend against the following delivery, which hits his right hand. Though he tries to hide it, his hand comes off the bat from the impact.

In the 57th over, Australia has a score of 165-5 with Green at 36 and Carey at 4. Henry bowls consistently on his preferred trajectory, aiming just outside the off-stump. Carey manages to hit one through point for two runs and gets a single off an inside edge.

In the 56th over, Australia is at 162-5 with Green scoring 36 and Carey scoring 1. Rather than taking the attack himself, New Zealand captain Tim Southee chooses to stick with second-Test pacer Kuggeleijn as Australia struggles. Green hits a wide delivery past Kane Williamson at cover and then blocks out the rest of the over. Kuggeleijn finishes with a strong over.

At the 55th over mark, Australia’s score is 158 for 5, with Green at 32 and Carey at 1. Henry, who has been the top performer for the New Zealand team, has now taken 3 wickets for 27 runs in his 15 overs. Alex Carey replaces the dismissed player and scores his first run with a gentle push towards the leg-side off a well-pitched ball.

The pause in the game resulted in a significant advancement for the Black Caps! Henry entices Marsh into a pull shot, even though the ball was a bit too low. As a result, there was a top edge that flew high in the air and Blundell was able to easily catch it in his gloves without much movement.

Marsh had a lively performance, scoring 40 runs in just 39 balls with six boundaries and one six. However, he will be let down by his dismissal.

In the 54th over, Australia’s score is 156-4 with Green at 31 and Marsh at 40. Kuggeleijn starts the over after the tea break, but is disappointed as Green hits two consecutive boundaries. The first is a traditional pull shot towards mid-wicket, while the second is an excellent drive through mid-on.

It is difficult to doubt Travis Head’s performance after his impressive contributions during pivotal moments in 2023. However, the start of this calendar year has not been as strong.

In the 53rd over, the Australian team has scored 147 runs for the loss of four wickets, with Green scoring 23 and Marsh scoring 39. Daryl Mitchell almost helped New Zealand get a wicket as they had a chance to run out Marsh. However, the Black Caps bowler was not present at the stumps to catch the throw, allowing the Australians to quickly take a second run.

The hosts would have had a strong advantage during the second session with that wicket, but currently they have to settle for three wickets and 85 runs. The green pitch that may have caused viewers to adjust their devices hasn’t posed a significant challenge for Australia. However, New Zealand’s usual weapon of air movement on their home turf still remains. The stage is set for an exciting third session… more updates to come.

In the 52nd over of the match, Australia has scored 140 runs with 4 wickets down. Green and Marsh are currently at the crease, with Green carefully defending against Kuggeleijn’s bowling. As tea nears, Green cannot resist driving a shot into the air, narrowly avoiding being caught by mid-on. The duo’s partnership has reached 50 runs, which is crucial after New Zealand’s recent success in taking two wickets.

“In the 51st over, Australia’s score is 136-4 with Green at 18 and Marsh at 33. The surprise addition to the attack is Daryl Mitchell, who is hoping to add to his three Test wickets and improve his bowling average of 111. Green appears at ease, patiently waiting for a poor delivery which he then expertly sends to the boundary for a four.”

During the 50th over of the game, Australia’s score was 130 for 4 with Green scoring 13 and Marsh scoring 32. Facing Southee’s deliveries, Green and Marsh were more cautious and focused on defending against balls angled towards their pads. As tea break was approaching in about 10 minutes, the batters were careful in their approach. On one occasion, when Southee bowled a bit too wide off off-stump, both players were able to score a single run.

In the 49th over, Australia has a score of 128-4 with Green at 12 runs and Marsh at 31 runs. Kuggeleijn takes over the ball after previously conceding 23 runs in eight overs against Australia in any type of match. Marsh observes the right-arm bowler before confidently hitting the final ball of the over over cover with a display of both strength and accuracy. Despite a strong start, Marsh is now showing his ability to calmly establish himself in the game when necessary.

In the 48th over, Australia’s score is 124-4 with Green at 12 and Marsh at 27. Southee continues to excel at his signature move of pushing the batter back and varying the ball’s direction. Marsh is holding strong on defence and only manages to score a single run off his pads.

In the 47th over of the match, Australia’s score is 123-4 with Green at 12 runs and Marsh at 26 runs. It was an interesting over as Green tried to be aggressive with his footwork, but the bowler, Henry, countered with different types of deliveries. It ended up being a scoreless over for Australia.

In the 46th over, Australia’s score is 123 for 4 with Green scoring 12 and Marsh scoring 26. Marsh hits a six off Southee’s shorter delivery, but the ball goes over the wicketkeeper and falls beyond the boundary. Southee then focuses on targeting the batsman’s pads and gets some swing, but Marsh is lucky when his thick edge goes past third slip for a boundary. The over yields thirteen runs and shows potential for Southee.

In the 45th over, Australia’s score is 110-4 with Green scoring 12 runs and Marsh scoring 14. There was almost another wicket for New Zealand as Green stepped down the pitch, but he chose to defend instead. He hits a thick edge that heads towards the cordon, but it doesn’t quite reach Tim Southee at third slip. The ball rolls away for a single while Henry bowls a controlled over to a more careful Marsh.

In the 44th over, the Australian team’s score is 109 for four wickets, with Green at 11 runs and Marsh at 14 runs. After a break, Marsh starts the attack again and hits a four through point off O’Rourke’s first ball. He follows it with another boundary through gully and has managed to score three fours in just nine balls. This partnership between Marsh and Green is looking intense and could go either way.

In the 43rd over, Australia’s score is 99 for 4 with Green scoring 11 runs and Marsh scoring 4 runs. Despite the confusion on the field, Green appears at ease and adjusts his footwork to handle full deliveries from Henry. With confidence, he steps forward and quickly hits a boundary through mid-wicket, followed by a couple of runs through square leg.