By RICHARD BOOCK
WELLINGTON - Chris Cairns not only rescued New Zealand's credibility yesterday, but also the credibility of whoever had decided to bat first in the second cricket test against Australia The Canterbury allrounder's third test century followed a controversial decision at the toss and another Keystone Kops effort from the New Zealand top order, which again folded like a faulty deck-chair yesterday morning - at one stage collapsing to 66 for five.
However, Cairns' 109, and some critical assistance from Nathan Astle (61) and Adam Parore (46), allowed New Zealand's first innings to edge through to 298, and the hosts were feeling much better about life after Australia were reduced to 29 for two in the seven overs before stumps.
Whatever the reasons for Stephen Fleming deciding to bat first yesterday - and the suspicion is that coach David Trist and senior players had a fair amount of say as well - the upshot was New Zealand wasted a royal opportunity to seize the initiative by opting not to bowl.
The pitch, yellow on Thursday, was a more conventional shade yesterday, but was obviously still moist and there was no doubt that batting would be a treacherous assignment for the first couple of hours.
Quite apart from that, New Zealand's top-order batsmen are so out of touch they only need to look at Brett Lee to be given out faint-hearted, while the fact that Fleming's men trail 1-nil in the series meant they were duty-bound to grab any hint of an advantage available.
As Trist said afterwards, the catalogue of dismissals could not be blamed solely on the pitch, but there was a fair bit of assistance early on, not least in the air, and Australia lived up to their reputation of grabbing the opportunities that mattered.
Craig Spearman was the first to go, to an offside trap which could not have been more obvious had Lee erected a sign-post (Caution, Extended Slips Cordon at Work), after prodding terminally at the third outswinger of the over and continuing his run of low scores.
He was followed back two overs later by his hunting partner Matt Horne, who was undone by a peach of a leg-cutter, and Mathew Sinclair's happy memories of the Basin were shattered when he was trapped in front by Colin Miller when the total was 18.
Exactly what Fleming was trying to do when he inexplicably spooned Shane Warne to mid-on is still up for debate, but New Zealand then lost Craig McMillan on the stroke of lunch and staggered back to the hutch at 69 for five.
Cairns' instincts after the break, as always, were to attack, and he looked in excellent touch from the outset, pumping seven fours and two sixes in his 52-ball half-century, and taking only 122 balls (159 minutes) over his century.
The 29-year-old right-hander went to the milestone when he stroked Greg Blewett through the offside for four, and received a congratulatory hug from Parore and a standing ovation from the 7,500-strong crowd.
Australia's worst fears were realised when Greg Blewett nicked out to Simon Doull, and nightwatchman Shane Warne was trapped in front by Daniel Vettori's arm-ball.
The first wicket was a huge relief for Doull, who now has 98 test wickets. The last one he took was at Birmingham eight months ago.
Cricket: Cairns digs NZ out of big trouble
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