Cricket: Spilling blood and catches

Australian captain Michael Clarke on his way to his ton. Photo / Getty Images

It was supposed to be the day New Zealand's fighting spirit and skill set up a gripping final two days of the opening test against Australia - but their aspirations were undone by one of cricket's oldest lines, the one about the importance of holding your catches. Their lapses cost New Zealand dearly.

Instead of being in a position where they could have gone into the fourth day in a really solid situation, they have a job to make sure the test is not lost.

The upshot is that New Zealand will start the fourth day on 10 for one, after a hostile late burst from debutant James Pattinson removed Brendon McCullum for one, Australia holding an overall lead of 122, having reached 427 in their first innings.

Ambitions need to be reset. New Zealand will likely need to bat well into the final day tomorrow. Victory would seem beyond them. Time, or lack of it, will see to that, but they are far from dead and buried in terms of at least saving the match.

Getting to Hobart for the second test all square will be paramount - and that may well mean more catches have to be taken than the Kiwis managed in this innings.

Three catches were spilled yesterday. Twice Australian captain Michael Clarke was put down, on 85 by wicketkeeper Reece Young and 105 by Jesse Ryder at third slip. He went on to make 54 more runs in his 139. They were truly ghastly moments for the visitors. Tailender Mitchell Starc was dropped by captain Ross Taylor off his second ball in test cricket.

That cost a further 44 in a ninth-wicket stand with Brad Haddin, which served to cap off a day which promised much for New Zealand but, through their own doing, was desperately disappointing.

All three were put down off seamer Doug Bracewell and maybe it was someone upstairs punishing him for his blooper on the second afternoon, when he bowled Clarke on 23 with a no ball. That was the real clanger of the innings, although to his credit, Bracewell bowled tirelessly and well for much of a hot day at the Gabba.

Clarke went on to his fourth hundred against New Zealand, 139 from 249 balls, on a day spinner Dan Vettori managed to send a player to the pavilion with blood dripping from his face.

Unfortunately it was his own wicketkeeper Young, who had stopped a sharply lifting delivery with his face, necessitating sawdust to soak the blood near the stumps.

McCullum donned the gloves for a time shortly after tea while a dozen stitches were inserted into Young's top lip before he returned to the job.

There have been some fascinating plot twists over the first three days. However, the pitch is good, although there were moments yesterday of bowlers and fielders jerking arms up as the ball behaved unexpectedly.

At stumps, it was all about lost opportunities for New Zealand.

They knew they had to grab every chance that fell their way, even against one of the rawest Australian teams in decades, with three new caps and two other players with a total of nine appearances between them.

"It is a difficult viewing ground but it's an international standard team that needs to be taking catches on any ground," senior seamer Chris Martin said last night. "It's frustrating. We just have to take it on the chin."

Chances were created, Martin said, "but when we got the opportunity we didn't take it and they [Australia] changed the momentum through our ineptness with the catching. That's the tough thing."

Ricky Ponting set out in pursuit of his 40th test hundred, but at 78 went lbw to Chris Martin. He tried for a stay by seeking a referral. Ponting has long been troubled by deliveries angling in that direction. The introduction of the Decision Review System three years ago has found him out.

New Zealand also got rid of Mike Hussey before lunch, the ball after Young dropped Clarke. Given the choice, they'd have taken Clarke. He got an inside edge and the ball appeared to swerve a shade just before reaching Young. Still it was a routine catch.

In his seventh test as leader, this was his third century - his third in the last six innings; his fourth against New Zealand and 17th in all. Clarke likes New Zealand. He averages 66.75 against them, compared with his overall average of 46.97. Ryder's drop after lunch was a bad one. His hands weren't in position, or together, for the head-high chance.

Taylor kicked the turf angrily as Clarke set about making New Zealand pay.

Every boundary from the 30-year-old leader they still call 'Pup' must have felt like a stab in the side for New Zealand, and particularly Bracewell.

As well as he bowled before and after lunch yesterday, it was Bracewell's no-ball bungle which set in train a series of events which could decide the test.

In between his slices of fortune, Clarke batted magnificently. He drove with a flourish, was unafraid to loft the ball down the ground and cut decisively. His luck ran out in the first over after tea, skying a hook to deep square leg.

Clarke and Brad Haddin, also feeling some heat over his position, had put on 108 for the sixth wicket, the key stand of the day. Haddin was within sight of his fourth test hundred when he holed out to Martin at long on for an impressive 80.