PERTH,(Reuters)- Ross Taylor scored the first double century by a New Zealander against Australia to drive the tourists to within 49 runs of the hosts’ tally on 510 for six at the close of play on the third day of the second Test yesterday.The 31-year-old righthander shared a record partnership of
265 runs with Kane Williamson, who scored 166, as the tourists
finally got on the front foot after losing the first Test by 208
runs and conceding a torrent of runs at the start of the second.
Taylor’s innings was already the highest of his career and,
after finishing the day on 235 not out, he could yet eclipse the
253 David Warner contributed to Australia’s first innings 559-9
declared.
Questions will be asked about the quality of the WACA wicket
after more a than a thousand runs were scored in three days but
Australia’s Mitchell Starc showed there was life in the track
with one frightening spell of new-ball bowling.
The left-arm paceman hit the 160 kilometres per hour mark
with one delivery, took a chunk out of New Zealand captain
Brendon McCullum’s bat with another and created a string of
chances which all failed to go to hand.
It was the more pedestrian pace of Josh Hazlewood that broke
the third-wicket partnership when Williamson toe-ended an
attempted pull to Mitchell Johnson at mid-on, while Mitchell
Marsh’s 130-kph effort clean bowled McCullum for 27.
Starc (2-83) did get some reward for his fiery efforts with
a full toss that BJ Watling (1) slapped to Nathan Lyon at point
and Johnson (1-131) removed Doug Bracewell for 12 to claim his
311th Test wicket.
That moved the 34-year-old ahead of Brett Lee and into
fourth place in the list of Australian Test wicket-takers with
only Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Dennis Lillee ahead of him.
Throughout all that excitement, though, Taylor batted on
assiduously and courageously through 308 balls, peppering the
boundaries with 34 fours.
The partnership with Williamson, who scored his fourth
century in nine innings this year, was the highest by any New
Zealand pair against Australia and the ninth highest by any
visiting batsmen in the country.
Resuming on 26 with New Zealand 140 for two, Taylor looked
as unsettled as Williamson was assured at the other end for the
first hour.
He looked more and more comfortable as the day wore on,
however, and after Williamson secured his 12th Test century, the
former captain pipped him with his 13th soon after lunch by
cutting spinner Lyon to the third man boundary.
Passing 5,000 career Test runs on the way, he brought up the
double century off Starc from his 31st four with yet another of
the fine cover drives that had studded his innings.

By David Gray