Adam Voges boosted his Test average to more than 100 yesterday as he and Usman Khawaja scored centuries to set Australia up for a huge lead in their first Test against New Zealand.
Australia were 463-6, heading New Zealand by 280 on the first innings at stumps on the second day. Khawaja was out for a classic 140 and Voges, given a life on seven, was unbeaten on 176.
The 36-year-old Voges, in his 19th Test innings, saw his Test average rise to more than 100, bettering Don Bradman’s 99.94 from an 80-innings career.
Photo: AFP
Voges has scored centuries in his past three innings, posting 269 runs not out and an unbeaten 106 against the West Indies in December last year.
The combined total of 551 overtakes the previous record of 497 runs between dismissals held by Sachin Tendulkar.
Since his recall to the Australian side last year, Khawaja has averaged 128.80 from six innings, including four centuries.
The single highlight of the day was a stunning caught-and-bowled by Trent Boult to dismiss Mitchell Marsh, but that occupied a split second on a day where the bat otherwise dominated.
Voges and Khawaja’s firm grip on the game in a 168-run stand for the fourth wicket left New Zealand with few moments to relish on a day of toil under the baking sun.
It was a sublime partnership that lasted 50 overs and offered few chances.
B.J. Watling missed a stumping opportunity when Khawaja was on 34 and Mark Craig was confident with an LBW appeal that was turned down when Khawaja was on 104.
A review showed the ball would have grazed the outside of leg stump and the umpire’s original not-out decision remained.
Voges had his moment of luck in the last over on day one when he was bowled by Doug Bracewell, only for umpire Richard Illingworth to wrongly call the delivery a no ball.
Since then, Voges has added 169 runs in an innings that has lasted 286 deliveries and includes 26 boundaries.
Boult hinted a fightback for New Zealand was possible with two wickets in three balls during yesterday’s middle session to remove Khawaja and Marsh and have Australia 299-5.
However, the euphoria in the New Zealand camp quickly disappeared as they labored through another 27 overs and 96 runs before Peter Nevill was the next wicket to fall.
Boult outsmarted Khawaja by bowling wide of the crease and as the left-handed batsman shaped to turn the ball to the on-side it straightened, slamming into his back pad.
Marsh was out to a spectacular catch off the second ball he faced when he drove hard at a Boult delivery — the left-arm paceman flining himself high to his right to snare the ball in his right hand.
Boult’s reaction time was measured at 0.594 of a second.
Australia had resumed the day on 147-3 and added 91, 92 and 133 in each of the three sessions on a flattening pitch.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was