Cricket: Batsmen lose their bearings in the fog

Australian fielders appeal for an lbw decision against New Zealand No 11 Chris Martin (right) from a Shane Warne delivery. Picture / Mark Mitchell

If it's true that Craig McMillan responds strongly to criticism then the Australians must be fair quaking in their boots this morning.

Possibly New Zealand's most critiqued player, McMillan set himself up for a nationwide serve last night when he squandered his first innings wicket to yet another brain explosion, raising the number of organs detonated this summer to four.

The under-fire right-hander was clean bowled after aiming an ill-advised and unrefined smear at Shane Warne, further denting New Zealand's chances of saving the second test and leading to the home side being dismissed for 244.

Asked to follow-on by Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, New Zealand were saved from any further embarrassment by the Wellington fog, which not only delayed the start of play, but also wiped out the final session.

The reprieve means New Zealand - weather permitting - will need to survive a minimum of 98 overs today to save the test, at which point they can travel to Auckland in the unlikely position of still being able to square the series.

But whatever the effect of yesterday's fog, nothing could hide the woeful incompetence of a New Zealand batting line-up that folded for a second consecutive time against Australia, this time to a series of soft dismissals and one undignified slog.

It's said that McMillan doesn't take advice readily and that he likes to prove his critics wrong, in which case his next innings should certainly be something to behold.

The madcap 28-year-old assured himself of some serious air time after revealing multiple personalities on the fourth day, including cameo appearances as the arch-defender, the cavalier dasher, and - finally, the foolish schoolboy.

His super-blooper followed similarly daft dismissals at Brisbane last year, when he charged past a Warne leg-spinner in the first innings and talked himself out in the second, and in Christchurch last week when he became confused against the same bowler.

McMillan has now strung together consecutive test scores of 6, 0, 0, 30 (v England), and 23, 9, 13, 5 and 20 (against Australia), and is likely to be under enormous pressure if the weather clears enough for the Australians to push on this morning.

The other player feeling the heat will undoubtedly be captain Stephen Fleming, who has posted consecutive scores this summer against Australia of 0, 11, 83, 3, 18, 17 and 0, and now only needs to see a glimpse of Glen McGrath to be given out "fainted".

New Zealand had lost their first four wickets to a catalogue of head-scratching decisions on Sunday and the trend changed only subtly yesterday - James Franklin and Lou Vincent falling to a waft and a jab, Brendon McCullum to a mistimed scoop, and McMillan to chronic misadventure.

The only periods of consolation came from Vincent, who played gamely to push his overnight score of 38 through to 63, and from Daniel Vettori, who raised brief hopes of averting the follow-on during an inventive last-wicket partnership of 32 with Chris Martin.

Vettori struck eight fours in his 45, but eventually perished after attempting to clear the mid-wicket fence off Warne, leaving New Zealand 326 runs behind Australia's first innings total of 570 and with only survival on their minds today.

Vincent said he had some problems with the low-slung sightscreens at the Basin, and although generally pleased with his batting, "I never really felt comfortable".

Testing time

* Australia 570 for 8 declared

* New Zealand 244, 266 behind the follow-on

* New Zealand must survive at least 98 overs today to save test