Michael Bracewell was everywhere for the Black Caps on day three. Photo / photosport.nz
Michael Bracewell was everywhere for the Black Caps on day three. Photo / photosport.nz
By Andrew Alderson at the Basin Reserve
Wellington delivered some brutal cricketing conditions on the eve of the autumn equinox.
To quote Dame Lynley Dodd’s Hat Tricks, detailing the life and times of Hairy Maclary, “it was a blusterous, gusterous, dusterous day”. The only such tricks on show at theBasin Reserve were black caps regularly cartwheeling across the park.
The temperature sat in the late teens, so short-sleeve pullovers were de rigueur for players, although patrons tended to choose the more conservative option of a windbreaker or woollen blanket and thermos.
The problem lay with the breeze. Pohutukawa moshed on the embankment, the sightscreen attempted to fashion an alternative life as a spinnaker, and the second delivery of Michael Bracewell’s 35th over brought new meaning to the term “drift” as it ballooned to slip. Even the heavy bails took a tumble during one savage flurry.
Wind was an issue for the players - and umpire Chris Gaffaney - throughout the test. Photo / photosport.nz
What were estimated at 100km/h northwesterly gusts would have had any New Zealand version of the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil barrelling back into the burrow.
They certainly had that effect on the Spark Sport camera staff based on the southern tower scaffolding. One resident dag unveiled a white flag mid-afternoon as they surrendered their position. A gnarled veteran was upbeat about the situation, quipping that the move presented his first chance in years to watch live cricket through anything other than a lens.
The Sri Lankans were more difficult to budge. The New Zealanders had to exercise the utmost patience, knowing they had time and runs in the bank. They also tried to maximise the gales to their advantage.
Tim Southee leads off his team in victory. Photo / Getty
One strategy involved Blair Tickner getting assigned Neil Wagner-type leg theory duties. The Sri Lankans were forced to pull or hook into the wind with his line of attack. Tickner’s field included leg gully, short leg, square leg, deep square leg, long leg and mid-wicket; third man and silly point formed a token offside.
That brought the wickets of Angelo Mathews with the 19th ball of the day and Dinesh Chandimal shortly before lunch. Mathews hooked to Michael Bracewell at square leg who popped up like piggy-in-the-middle between Henry Nicholls under the lid and Devon Conway further back.
Similarly, Michael Bracewell bowled his off-spinners from the Government House end with a silly point, slip, leg slip, short leg and backward square leg.
He took the key wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva as he looked to paddle the ball fine for a 10th test century. The all-rounder exited for 98 when Nicholls snared the miscue falling back at short leg.
From there, the visitors’ demise was attritional but inevitable.
