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Katich sets the path

CRIClNFO, undated
Simon Katich became the first Australian to carry his bat in a Test for more than a decade and set Australia on the path towards victory at the Gabba. New Zealand were barely in the hunt at stumps on the third day but Ross Taylor gave them a glimmer of hope in their chase of 327, which after they stumbled to 4 for 49 must have seemed as attainable as an Oscar for Paris Hilton.
But wickets kept falling around Taylor and the loss of Grant Elliott, who was bowled by a lively Stuart Clark on the last ball of the day, meant New Zealand's slim chances would largely rest with Taylor and the next man in, Daniel Vettori. A deficit of 183 appeared too steep for a team whose lower order in the first innings was about as useful as a Zimbabwean dollar.
The match could have been over already but for an 84 run stand between Taylor and Daniel Flynn, who picked the gaps with sensible shots and rarely took risks. Flynn was bowled by
Mitchell Johnson for 29 and his departure encouraged the already attacking Taylor to go for a few more shots in his unbeaten 67, which • ended a drought of seven Test innings in which he had failed to pass fifty.
Their chase had started in the worst possible fashion in the first over when Jamie How was drawn into a drive and edged to second slip off Brett Lee, who let out a roar of joy at picking up his 300th Test wicket. He became the fourth Australian to reach the milestone and, having picked up 2 for 38 in the first innings, it continued form turnaround following his tough tour oflndia.
Clark also regained his mojo with a pair of important breakthroughs, including a juggling return catch off Aaron Redmond and a positive lbw shout when Brendon McCullum padded up to a delivery that nipped back marginally. Johnson chipped in with Jesse Ryder, lbw for 24, and Katich's unbeaten 131 looked like it would be a matchwinning effort.
He carried not only his bat but also Australia's hopes — they had been in trouble at 6 for 115 late on the second afternoon. But Katich batted well with the tail and but for the
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82 that Australia's last two pairs added, New Zealand could have been pursuing a much less daunting goal of around 250.
Katich combined with Johnson for an invaluable 53-run stand that featured some clean hitting from Johnson, who struck three fours and a powerful six over the head of the bowler Vettori. When Johnson miscued an attempted pull off Elliott and slapped the ball to mid-off for 31 the problems did not end for New Zealand. Clark kept the boundaries coming -he hit four in his 12-ball 18 -- in a 29-run partnership.
When Clark holed out to mid-off Katich became the first Australian to remain unbeaten through a completed Test innings since Mark Taylor in Adelaide in 1997-98. It continued a terrific career renaissance for Katich, who now has four Test centuries since his recall in the Caribbean earlier this year.
He was bogged down early in the morning but grew in confidence and raced through the 90s within seven balls. A well-timed drive off Southee went so straight that the umpire Billy Doctrove had to practice his hurdling skills to allow it to run away to the boundary and the next ball Katich rolled his wrists perfectly in a textbook hook that smashed into the turf and flew away for four more.
SCOREBOARD
Scoreboard at stumps on the third day of the first Test between Australia and New Zealand at the Brisbane Cricket Ground on Saturday: AUSTRALIA: First innings 214 (Hussey 35, Clarke 98; Southee 4-63)
NEW ZEALAND: First innings 156 (Ryder 30, Taylor 40, Flynn 39 no; Johnson 4-30) AUSTRALIA: Second innings (overnight 131 for 6) Hayden c McCullum b MartinO
Katich notout 131
Pontingc Redmond b O'Brien 17
Husseyc McCullum b O'Brien 0
Clarke run out 9
Symonds c McCullum b Martin 20
Watson lbw b Martin 5
HaddinbVettori 19
LeebVettori 7
Johnson cVettorib Elliott 31
Clark cVetton b Southee 18
Extras (lb-10, nb-1) 11
Total: (All out in 81.2 overs) 268
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-40, 3-40, 4-53, 5-109, 6-115,7-156,8-186,9-239,10-268. Bowler O M R W
Martin 21 5 69 3
Southee 16.2 5 62 1
O'Brien 17 1 58 2
Elliott 6 1 15 1
Vettori 19 4 46 2
Ryder 2 0 8 0
NEWZEALAND: Second innings Redmondc&b Clark 10
Howe Ponting b Lee 0
Ryder lbw b Johnson 24
Taylor not out 67
McCullum lbw b Clark 3
Flynn b Johnson 29
Elliott b Clark 0
Extras: (lb-5,w-2, nb-3) 10
Total: (For6wkts in 44 overs) 143
To bat: Vettori, O'Brien, Southee, Martin.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-30, 3-40, 4-49, 5-133, 6-143.
Bowler O M R W
Lee 9 0 53 1
Clark 12 5 23 3
Johnson 12 4 25
Watson 5 1 19 0
Symonds 4 0 12 0
Clarke 2 0 6 0