Cricket: Kiwis face uphill task

Australia 485; New Zealand 30-2

ALLAN BORDER became Test cricket's most prolific scorer yesterday as Australia took charge of the first Test against New Zealand, in Christchurch.

Needing 50 to surpass the 10,122 runs scored by India's Sunil Gavaskar, Border, 37, reached the milestone by pulling the off-spinner Dipak Patel to the boundary.

Aided by Border's 88, Australia amassed 485, and then the fierce fast bowler, Craig McDermott, had New Zealand reeling at 30 for 2.

Border had to come to the crease in the first over of the day when Justin Langer was removed lbw by Danny Morrison on his overnight score of 63. He started nervously, nearly running himself out early on, but after lunch it was Border at his confident best, with cuts, pulls and drives of the highest order.

Even when Border went at 88, a tired flick to the wicketkeeper Adam Parore off Morrison, the other batsman prospered.

New Zealand were quickly in trouble in their innings. McDermott had Mark Greatbatch taken by the wicketkeeper Ian Healy for four from a short lifter in his first over and then snared Andrew Jones lbw for eight.

Playing with only five specialist batsmen, New Zealand need another 255 to avoid the follow-on.

(Second day: New Zealand won toss)

AUSTRALIA - First Innings

(Overnight: 217 for 3)

J L Langer lbw b Morrison. . . . . . . . . . . 63

S R Waugh lbw b Owens. . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

* A R Border c Parore b Morrison. . . . . . . .88

I A Healy c Morrison b Owens. . . . . . . . . .54

M G Hughes c Cairns b Patel. . . . . . . . . . 45

P R Reiffel c Greatbatch b Su'a. . . . . . . . 18

S K Warne not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

C J McDermott c Jones b Cairns. . . . . . . . . 4

Extras (w5 nb6 lb6 b2). . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .485

Fall: 1-33 2-149 3-170 4-217 5-264 6-363 7-435 8-441 9-480.

Bowling: Morrison 36-11-81-3 (nb1); Su'a 33-5- 106-1 (nb3); Cairns 31.3-9-87-1 (nb1 w4); Owens 26-9-58-3 (w1 nb1); Patel 31-3-145-2.

NEW ZEALAND - First Innings

M J Greatbatch c Healy b McDermott. . . . . . . 4

J G Wright not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

A H Jones lbw b McDermott. . . . . . . . . . . .8

* M D Crowe not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Extras (w4 lb1 nb1 b1). . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Total (for 2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Fall: 1-4 2-18.

To bat: K R Rutherford, A C Parore, C L Cairns, D N Patel, M L Su'a, D K Morrison, M B Owens.

Bowling (to date): McDermott 8-4-15-2; Hughes 8-5-8-0 (w4 nb1); Reiffel 4-2-5-0.