Australia march into dominant position

Australia 8 for 575 dec (Langer 215, Vettori 5-152) and 57 for 0 lead New Zealand 251 (Fleming 83, McGrath 4-66) by 381 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden finished the third day's play at Adelaide as they had begun the first, by rumbling along to an unbeaten 57-run stand to take Australia one step closer to a crushing victory in the second Test against New Zealand. By the close of play, Australia led by an imposing 381 runs with ten wickets and two days remaining, and New Zealand's feathers were as ruffled as the pair of seagulls that had to be carried to the boundary's edge, after inadvertently fielding a Langer cut shot late in the final session.

After a ponderous start to their day, in which Australia managed a solitary wicket in two hours of probing, normal service was resumed shortly after lunch, as Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie grabbed two wickets apiece in a post-lunch collapse. From the relative serenity of 3 for 153, New Zealand lost their last seven wickets for 98 runs, to ensure that the sterling efforts of their captain, Stephen Fleming, would be consigned to the wastepaper bin. Fleming made 83, but it was his opposite number, Ricky Ponting, who was calling all the shots. With a lead of 324 in the bank, he opted not to enforce the follow-on to allow his fast bowlers a well-deserved break.

Fleming began the day on 38 not out, and batted with phlegm and flair in the morning session to reach lunch unbeaten on 75. At that stage, with a subdued Nathan Astle providing doughty company, New Zealand still harboured hopes of a sustained fightback. It was not to be, however. Fleming could add just seven more runs before falling to a beauty from McGrath, and the rest of the middle order followed meekly.

The manner with which the innings unravelled was not quite as dramatic as New Zealand's demise at Brisbane, but it was a procession nonetheless as Australia's unrelenting pressure was brought to bear. They lost five wickets for 60 in 21 overs, and by tea, their only remaining frontline batsman was Scott Styris, who had been sidelined for much of the day by an ear infection. He was eventually the last man out, caught at deep square leg for 28 to give McGrath his fourth wicket of the innings.

McGrath was the inevitable catalyst for the slump. He had been introduced to the attack late in the morning session, and had come in for some uncommon tap as well, with 22 runs leaking in two overs. But upon the resumption he was back to his metronomic best, and Fleming had no answer to a beautiful drifting delivery that slipped off the thinnest of outside-edges into Adam Gilchrist's gloves.

Astle did his utmost to fill the void left by Fleming's departure, but he had been struggling for rhythm throughout his innings, and was in no frame of mind to combat McGrath at his wiliest. Shortly after he had brought up his half-century, he spooned a devious slower delivery off the shoulder of the bat, and Langer completed a simple catch at short midwicket (5 for 178).

Jacob Oram had earned a promotion after his scintillating first-innings century at Brisbane, but his previous form counted for nothing as Gillespie returned to the attack. In the first over of his spell, Gillespie buzzed a sharp seamer towards Oram's off stump, and one ungainly flinch later, Gilchrist had accepted his second catch of the session. Gillespie then followed up with a rare lbw decision, as Brendon McCullum stepped across his stumps to be sent on his way for 10 (7 for 190).

At this stage, the only member of Australia's attack to have missed out on the wickets was Shane Warne, although he might have grabbed a hatful on any other day, as his assortment of rippers and sliders fizzed past a succession of uncertain batsmen. He did eventually get some joy, as James Franklin shouldered arms to a big legbreak and was given out lbw, but it was scant reward for a mesmeric spell.

The only man who had coped with Warne's wiles was Fleming, who profited through his judicious use of the square drive. But even he had his moment of good fortune, when an attempted sweep bobbled off the pad and just out of the reach of Ponting, diving full-length across the pitch from silly point. Astle, in particular, had struggled to cope with Warne - he was missed down the leg-side by Gilchrist, before fencing an edge just out of the reach of Matthew Hayden at slip.

On Saturday, New Zealand's openers had been asked to bat out the last 22 overs of the day; now it was Hayden and Langer who stepped out for a 21-over session themselves, after Ponting's decision to bat on. New Zealand's bowlers applied themselves well in a subdued finish to the day's proceedings, with Paul Wiseman once again impressing in a five-over spell on a receptive surface. But with Warne already owed some wickets for his first-innings performance, New Zealand could have done without such reminders of the tribulations that lie ahead.