Justin Langer finished his day’s work as he had begun it, with a fusillade of boundaries against the new ball, as Australia rode on the back of his 20th Test century to reach a commanding position at the close of the first day’s play in the second
The bulletin by Andrew Miller26-Nov-2004Close Australia 3 for 327 (Langer 144*, Lehmann 28*) v New Zealand
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Justin Langer was fed a diet of half-volleys to get his innings off to a flying start© Getty Images
Justin Langer finished his day’s work as he had begun it, with a fusillade of boundaries against the new ball, as Australia rode on the back of his 20th Test century to reach a commanding position at the close of the first day’s play in the second Test at Adelaide.It was an innings of startling contrast from Langer. In the day’s opening exchanges, he thrived on a diet of off-stump half-volleys to race into the thirties almost before his partner, Matthew Hayden, had taken guard. And when New Zealand turned optimistically to the new ball with ten overs remaining, he was once again obliged with a similar selection of goodies, as the hapless James Franklin was spanked for four consecutive fours for the second time in the day.In between whiles, however, Langer reverted to his more familiar, nuggetty approach, and for a period after lunch, he was clearly struggling in the oppressive South Australian heat. But he retained his focus throughout, and the upshot proved mighty effective, as Australia made excellent use of an important toss to reach 327 for 3 at the close.For New Zealand, still smarting from their innings battering in last week’s Brisbane Test, it was an ominous start. The very first delivery of the match was a gimme from Chris Martin that Langer eased through the covers, and though it took Hayden until the second hour of the morning to hit his straps, the pair reached lunch within touching distance of their 13th century stand in 69 Tests as an opening pair.For all his bold talk in the build-up to the match, New Zealand’s captain, Stephen Fleming, was forced right back onto the defensive almost from the off. Jacob Oram bowled a tight leg-stump line to silence Langer’s off-side aggression, and when New Zealand’s chief spinner, Daniel Vettori, entered the attack, it was with three men set back on the fence.On a belter of a pitch, there was barely a sniff of a chance for any of the bowlers – New Zealand’s only genuine opportunity came when Hayden, on 47, was trapped in front of off stump by a sharp tweaker from Vettori. Umpire Bucknor was unmoved despite a long, lingering look, and Hayden celebrated his let-off by bringing up his fifty with a crunching pull off Martin.It was Vettori’s spin-twin who eventually made the breakthrough. Paul Wiseman had been brought in at the expense of a batsman, Craig McMillan, and he needed just eight deliveries – two of which were clubbed for four – before he got the better of an overconfident Hayden, who whipped a simple return catch straight back at the bowler. There was never any significant doubt that the catch was legitimate, but Hayden stood his ground nonetheless, no doubt mindful of the unsavoury episode involving McMillan at Brisbane. He was soon sent on his way for 70 by the third umpire, with a chorus of boos accompanying him to the pavilion (1 for 137).
Daniel Vettori can’t hide his frustration as Australia extend their advantage© Getty Images
But if New Zealand thought that dismissal would mark an upturn in their fortunes, they were sorely mistaken. Into the fray came Ricky Ponting, steaming with intent after his string of setbacks over the past few months. Wiseman was thumped for two more fours in the remaining four balls of his over, and the treatment was repeated shortly afterwards, as consecutive deliveries whistled down to the distant boundary rope at long-on.After the tea break, Ponting continued his obsession with Adelaide’s vast straight boundaries. With Langer entrenched as he approached his hundred, Ponting chivvied Australia’s total along with a string of outrageously elegant strokes. In the process, he put further dents into Wiseman’s figures, but it was Vettori who eventually ended the fun, as Ponting was deceived in the flight and stumped by a jubilant Brendan McCullum for 68 (2 for 240).Damien Martyn’s prowess against spin can never again be questioned after his recent successes in India, so his wicket was a big feather in Wiseman’s cap. Martyn had made just 7, when he steered a leaping offbreak firmly into the hands of Fleming at slip. At 261 for 3, New Zealand had their one chance to haul the day’s honours back towards parity.Langer, however, was going nowhere, and with his hundred in sight and two spinners in tandem, he followed the recent trend – as instigated by Michael Clarke on his debut at Bangalore – of casting aside his helmet and calling for the Baggy Green. It very nearly proved to be a jinx, for on 99, he steered Vettori down the leg-side, and might have been caught by a more accomplished gloveman than McCullum. But the ball trickled off the gauntlets, and Langer trotted through for a hugely deserved century.At that stage, an acceleration was the last thing on Langer’s mind, but he had reckoned without the new ball. With Adelaide’s favourite son, Darren Lehmann, for company, he tucked into some dreadful fare from Martin and, especially, Franklin, whose return after injury was a nervy affair, as Australia reached the close in what already has the look of an insuperable total.Andrew Miller is assistant editor of Wisden Cricinfo.