BRISBANE, 22 November 2004 — Australia crushed New Zealand by an innings and 156 runs in the first Test at the Gabba yesterday to retain the Trans-Tasman Trophy.
Trailing by 232 runs after the home side had amassed 585, the Kiwis were skittled for 76 in their second innings after lunch on the fourth day. The margin of defeat was New Zealand’s second worst in all Tests against Australia and their paltry total was their lowest-ever in this country. Only two batsmen reached double figures and the innings lasted less than 37 overs and three hours. “The game was pretty well balanced yesterday but they just turned things around so quickly and dramatically,” New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming told reporters. “This is a very good Australian side and we needed things to go our way but they didn’t and we didn’t play well enough.”
Australia skipper Ricky Ponting said his team raised their game after being outplayed for the first two days. Australia looked to be in trouble early on the third day when they lost their fifth wicket, still 131 runs behind.
They immediately regained the initiative through two big partnerships. Man of the Match Michael Clarke (141) and vice-captain Adam Gilchrist (126) put on 216 for the sixth wicket before Glenn McGrath (61) and Jason Gillespie (54 not out) added 114 for the 10th.
The two fast bowlers, often ridiculed for their batting, made their first Test half-centuries. McGrath silenced his detractors with the third highest score by a No. 11 batsman in the history of Test cricket after starting the fourth day on 54.
Gillespie took his overnight score of 43 to 54 not out, giving Australia a massive psychological boost while breaking New Zealand’s spirits.
McGrath, full of confidence after his exploits with the bat, ripped through New Zealand’s top-order with the new ball, capturing three early wickets. Leg spinner Shane Warne wiped out the tail with four for 15 from 10.2 overs and Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz shared the other three wickets. The Kiwis could not have made a worse start to their second innings, losing left-hander Mark Richardson in the first over when he edged McGrath to wicketkeeper Gilchrist for four. McGrath grabbed another wicket in his second over when he trapped Mathew Sinclair leg before wicket for a duck. He then snared Fleming for 11, Justin Langer holding a low catch at third slip.
The fourth wicket fell right on lunch when Scott Styris padded up to Warne without offering a shot and was given out lbw for seven. New Zealand went to lunch in deep trouble at 42 for four and things got worse after the resumption.
Nathan Astle departed in the second over when he was caught by Warne off Kasprowicz for 17 and first-innings centurion Jacob Oram fell for eight when the ball deflected off the back of his bat to Matthew Hayden at slip off Warne’s bowling. Brendon McCullum was the victim of a dubious umpiring decision when he was given out caught behind to a ball that hit a crack in the pitch and missed his bat by about 10 centimeters.
Craig McMillan was trapped lbw by Gillespie for nine after surviving an appeal for caught behind off the previous ball that resulted in an angry exchange with Gilchrist. Warne then mopped up the last two wickets to finish with eight in the match and take his world record tally to 549 scalps.
