An unbeaten 98 from Alex Carey has helped Australia to victory in the second Test in Christchurch, the tourists sweeping the series after the Black Caps were in the box seat at the start of the fourth day.
Needing to chase down 279 on the fourth day, Carey’s 140-run partnership with Mitchell Marsh did the damage for the tourists, who recovered from the loss of Travis Head’s early dismissal to win by the relatively comfortable margin of three wickets.
"It was a great partnership which broke the back of the attack," New Zealand skipper Tim Southee said.
Two wickets in two balls from debutant Ben Sears, who dismissed Marsh for 80 and then Mitchell Starc for a golden duck, to leave Australia 220-7, gave New Zealand hope, but skipper Pat Cummins, unbeaten on 32, proved a reliable ally for Carey.
New Zealand had gone into today with high hopes after restricting Australia to 34-4 yesterday afternoon, with Head and Marsh getting them to 77 at stumps.
And while they made the early breakthrough, Head cutting Southee straight to point off the second ball of Southee's first over of the day, Marsh was dropped by Rachin Ravindra off the previous ball when on 28. It was regulation catch and a costly miss.
It means New Zealand’s hunt for a ninth Test win over Australia continues. Their last was in Hobart in 2011 and their last in New Zealand was at Eden Park in 1993.
The runs came too easily in the first session after a one hour’s rain delay.
The young NZ paceman got rid of Marsh and Starc in consecutive balls (Source: TVNZ). (Source: Supplied)
The Aussies scored 97 in the session at 5.11 per over, with the seamers expensive.
Glenn Phillips got one over of off spin before the lunch break and had success in tying down Marsh, who survived a big LBW appeal.
It was given not out, the Black Caps reviewed it, and the replays suggested the ball edged the bat before it hit his front foot on the full. Other observers felt the noise was the bat hitting the foot, however.
The burned review was New Zealand’s second of the day: the Black Caps earlier requesting one for a Carey caught behind which was also unsuccessful.
The Black Caps may rue not bowling Phillips earlier. In a sign of desperation, Scott Kuggeleijn began bowling short (Neil Wagner style), with fielders on the boundary and no slips in place, but his over went for 10 and there will be questions too about why Sears wasn’t brought on earlier and indeed why he didn’t bowl shorter and more aggressively to Cummins.
Marsh and Carey both rode their luck, the former playing a cut shot on to his pads when on 41 and the ball missing the off stump by centimetres.
When Carey was on 19 he was trapped in front by Matt Henry, who finished with nine wickets in the match. Unfortunately for the Black Caps, the decision was successfully reviewed, the ball appearing to be sliding down leg side.
While Henry bowled well yesterday in partnership with Sears in removing the top order of Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green, it was the latter who gave the Black Caps hope this afternoon.
With Australia still requiring 59, Sears, bowling with real pace – up to 146km/h – trapped Marsh in front, with Starc going the next ball when hitting a short one straight to Will Young at short midwicket.
With the ball getting softer, New Zealand failed to strike again, Cummins and Carey getting Australia home.
Sears was New Zealand's best today with 4-90 off 17 overs.
As the post mortems begin, there will be a feeling that New Zealand wasted a golden opportunity to set Australia a higher total yesterday.
Player of the match Carey said afterwards: "It was a great series and this game ebbed and flowed. It was backs against the wall this morning... so nice to chase those runs down. The ball was nipping around, though Mitch Marsh's intent was outstanding. It got us going. The message was, let's play our way. Mitch's innings was brilliant."
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