WELLINGTON, 28 March 2005 — A dashing century by captain Ricky Ponting helped Australia to race to 219 for four on the second day of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Auckland yesterday.
Ponting smacked 105 off 110 balls as the Australians closed to within 73 runs of New Zealand with six first innings wickets in hand and three days to go at Eden Park.
New Zealand, 1-0 down in the series, had been bowled out for 292 after resuming at 199 for five, losing their last five wickets for just 64 runs.
Paceman Glenn McGrath and leg spinner Shane Warne collected two wickets apiece to finish with three each while Daniel Vettori propped up the tail with an unbeaten 41 off 50 deliveries.
Australia made a shaky start to their reply, losing Justin Langer (six) and Matthew Hayden (38) before tea, but Ponting put them back in control with his 22nd Test century.
The skipper showed no mercy against the New Zealand bowlers, belting 13 boundaries and four sixes in a brilliant display that ended when he was caught down the leg-side by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum off part-time spinner Nathan Astle.
“I felt really good out there but it wasn’t a pre-planned thing, just go out there, see it and hit it really,” Ponting told a news conference.
“It was a pleasing knock but to get out the way that I did was a bit disappointing, especially when we were in such a strong position.”
The Australians were scoring at five runs at over when Ponting was in full swing but slowed down in the final hour.
Paul Wiseman captured a fourth wicket for New Zealand in the last session when he bowled Damien Martyn for 38 with a ball that turned sharply, leaving Michael Clarke (18 not out) and nightwatchman Jason Gillespie (one not out) to battle through to the close.
“I thought we did a pretty good job of pulling it back after a pretty average first session with the ball,” Wiseman said.
“Ricky was in awesome form. It was a fantastic knock from him but I thought we pulled it back pretty well in the second session.”
New Zealand’s first innings ended right on lunch after McGrath once again did the early damage, getting rid of Astle and McCullum in the first hour.
Astle was caught by Langer at third slip for 19 and McCullum nicked one behind to Adam Gilchrist, who held a low catch to give McGrath his 495th test wicket.
Warne got rid of James Franklin for three when he presented Simon Katich with a simple catch at bat-pad. The spinner added the scalp of Wiseman for eight when he ran out of patience and skyed the ball to Gillespie at mid-off.
The innings ended when Chris Martin, yet to reach double figures in 28 test innings, was caught by Clarke at cover point off Michael Kasprowicz for a second-ball duck.
Franklin gave New Zealand cause for optimism when he dismissed both Australian openers, with Langer departing in the second over when he played on.
Hayden and Ponting piled on 76 runs in the next 15 overs before Hayden was trapped lbw by Franklin with the total on 84.
