Brilliant Cummins puts Australia on the brink of series win

Melbourne:For the third time in as many innings in their three-match series 

against Australia, New Zealand's batting unit folded for a sub-200 total, as Australia 

ascended into a commanding position on the third day of their Boxing Day encounter at 

the Melbourne Cricket Ground here on Saturday.

Having closed out the second day's play on 44/2 in reply to Australia's first-innings 467, 

New Zealand crumbled in the face of another superb display of fast bowling from Pat 

Cummins, the world's top-ranked Test bowler.

Cummins' five-for underpinned the home team's dominance, as New Zealand were sent 

packing for 148, conceding a first-innings deficit of 319 runs. Tim Paine, however, refrained 

from reinserting the visitors. By stumps, Australia had moved to 137/4, with a 456-run lead 

in the kitty, and a victory firmly in sight.

With his 5/28 on Saturday, Cummins extended the gulf between him and second-placed 

Stuart Broad to 16 wickets, taking his tally for the calendar year to 59. Having already 

drawn the outside edge from Tom Blundell with a 146-kph fuller ball on the second day, 

the 26-year-old began the third with wickets off the first two balls of his second over.

Ross Taylor was the first to fall, pressing forward and sending a thick edge flying towards 

third slip, where Marnus Labuschagne parried the ball, which eventually settled into the 

hands of Joe Burns at first slip. 

Next ball, Cummins went around the wicket to the left-handed Henry Nicholls and pinned 

him in front of leg stump to open the floodgates. When BJ Watling fell for the bait from 

James Pattinson to poke a wide short of a length ball outside off and edge to Burns, New 

Zealand had lost half their side while still trailing by over 400 runs, an ICC report said.

It could have all ended much quicker had Steve Smith not reprieved Tom Latham, after 

diving from across second slip, in front of Burns at first, and shelling an outside edge. 

Latham had, at that point, laboured to 9 off 62 balls. He continued to be the only New 

Zealand batsman to show a measure of resistance, soaking up 144 balls for a dogged 50, 

while none of the rest touched 20.

Cummins' five-for was complemented brilliantly by James Pattinson, who had accounted 

for the all-important wicket of Kane Williamson on the second evening, before adding two 

more scalps on the third to finish with 3/34, while Mitchell Starc took the other two, winding 

up with 2/30.

Australia's openers dealt with a testing new-ball spell from Trent Boult and Tim Southee. 

Joe Burns, especially, was tentative at the start, but once the nerves eased down, he and 

David Warner buckled down for a 62-run opening stand.

 The ever-consistent Labuschagne took them to the 100-run mark in the company of 

Burns, before New Zealand hit back with three wickets for 10 runs. However, coming as 

it did after their abject batting display earlier in the day, it was hardly a balm for the deep 

cuts inflicted upon them.

Brief score:

Australia - 467 & 137/4 

New Zealand - 148

(UNI)