New Zealand endured a disastrous collapse in their top order on Day 2 at the Basin Reserve, gifting Australia a substantial first-innings advantage of 204 runs, despite Glenn Phillips’ brisk innings of 71.
Phillips, at 27, stood alone as the sole Kiwi batsman to reach a half-century, with his partnership of 48 runs alongside tailender Matt Henry proving crucial in narrowing the deficit. However, their collaboration was fraught with peril, as the unpredictable behavior of the Kookaburra ball, combined with Nathan Lyon’s spin, posed constant threats.
In a moment of high drama during the 36th over, Lyon delivered a deceptive off-side length ball to Henry, which sharply turned in, evading the bat and striking Henry’s thigh.
As the ball unexpectedly popped up, Henry failed to track its trajectory, casually lifting his bat while searching for the ball, unaware it was hovering right in front of him. The ball ricocheted off the back of Henry’s bat, grazing his helmet before descending slowly towards the ground, mere inches away from Alex Carey’s feet.
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Carey, the wicket-keeper, found himself bemused by the situation, frantically scanning his surroundings in search of the elusive ball, only to see it bounce off the pitch and collide with his pad. Lyon couldn’t contain his amusement, breaking into a broad grin at the absurdity of the scene, a sentiment echoed by fans on Twitter who delighted in the spectacle.
