Australia vs New Zealand first Test day one live updates — blog ...

Good session of Test cricket this morning, with the honours going to Australia you'd think.

There have been chances, the ball has done a fair bit, but some wayward bowling and some very good, patient batting has made sure that the Aussies are only one down at the first break.

Steve Smith was very patient for his 71-ball 31, but finally a swinging, seaming delivery found his outside edge.

Everyone was very economic with the ball apart from Scott Kuggeleijn who went at 5.33 an over in a session that ground along at 2.29 overall.

A proper morning of Test cricket at a proper cricket ground.

Doesn't get much better.

Appeal as Khawaja is rapped on the pad, probably going down the the appeal was stifled as a result.

Good ball, well left by Khawaja.

EDGED! Short of first slip! Could Blundell have dived across? Rough to blame him for it, but it probably just carried to where the keeper would have been, but first slip, being deeper, was too far away. I still think it was slip's chance, but he was too deep.

Khawaja leaves the next couple - really good line and length from Henry.

He leaves the last too.

And sends the first a long way down the leg side - poor delivery from O'Rourke, who doesn't appear to have the necessary control to really keep the pressure on - despite being very economical so far.

Another ball flies down the leg side, another good take from Blundell.

Now he's too far wide of the off stump. Labuschagne doesn't need to play at it - he's only had to play at one ball in his innings so far.

Yorker, nicely bowled and played.

Marnus leaves a 138kph delivery outside off.

Labuschagne leaves again. It's been poor from New Zealand to the new batter so far - they need to make him play or risk surrendering the momentum that this tricky pre-lunch period could have posed.

Tough time to come in, just 11 minutes or so before lunch.

Three slips now, and a gully, hard time to start with the Kiwis finally getting their reward.

Labuschagne has a little walk down and across to the off side, leaving the ball that goes outside his off stump.

Outside off again - Labuschagne leaves it again. Not great bowling first up from Henry, who has to make Marnus play.

Tight leave from the master of the tight leave outside off stump.

Too straight, Labuschagne clips off his hip for a single.

Gppd ball, Khawaja leaves on length, the ball flying just over the top of off stump with good carry.

Lovely ball from Matt Henry, a bit of movement through the air, a bit of nip off the surface, Smith presented the straight bat on the back foot, the ball found the edge and Tom Blundell leaped across in front of first slip to take an excellent catch.

Australia loses its first, Steve Smith out for 31.

Australia 1-61.

There is a leg gully for Smith now - which is interesting - there hasn't been a huge amount go through there today.

BEATEN! Great ball outside off, straightening past the outside edge of Smith's horizontal bat.

Good ball! Bit of extra bounce, angling into Smith who fends it off his hip just fine of the leg gully - who would have been in play had he been at leg slip there.

Khawaja defends the next, with three orthodox slips in place.

Great bounce and carry from O'Rourke, Tom Blundell taking the ball high above his head.

Good solid defence from Khawaja, who has 28 from 75, Smith 31 from 70, Australia 0-61.

Two slips and a gully, Henry sends the first fizzing across the face of Khawaja.

Too straight there, Khawaja clips to square leg.

Smith leaves outside off, mutters away as he looks down the pitch and waves his hand about to illustrate the movement off the deck.

Leg side, Smith clips off his hip for an easy single.

Khawaja defends.

Another great leave from Khawaja is greeted with voluminous exclamations from behind the stumps to end the over.

Change of ends for O'Rourke, Southee is switching them all around it seems so nobody is stuck slamming themselves into the wind all day.

Short, outside off, Smith leans back and watches it go past his face.

Smith gets a bit of an inside edge attempting a drive..

Just seven balls out of 129 deliveries would have gone on to hit the stumps today - that's not good enough from New Zealand.

Smith gets another inside edgy shot.

Wide outside off, Smith ignores it.

Smith fends into the off side for no run to end the over.

BIG APPEAL! I think there was bat - certainly sounded like it... Might have been doing a bit too much too.

It was a lovely inswinging yorker from Scott Kuggeleijn, late swing too.

SOUTHEE GOES UPSTAIRS!

Desperation review?

The sound was the bat hitting the flap of the back pad - this has hit him in front - might be umpires call on leg stump or even missing? It's missing.

Not out and New Zealand loses a review. Marais Erasmus is a good umpire and he's got that spot on.

More extravagant swing from Kuggeleijn, down the leg side though, great take behind the stumps.

FOUR! Wide, Khawaja cuts backward of square for a boundary. Wonderful timing, too short from Kuggeleijn.

FOUR! Too short, this time angling into Khawaja's body and he swivels a pull shot away backward of square for four more.

It's 52 off 125 balls.

Back over the wicket is Kuggeleijn, Khawaja clips off his pads for a single.

Smith clips off his pads to deep backward square leg for a single.

Bit all over the place from Scott Kuggeleijn in that over.

Three slips and a gully.

SIX! Khawaja pulls brilliantly as he swivels - there is a man out there, but it beat him and landed just over the rope. Great shot from Khawaja.

BEATEN! Followed by a brilliant ball by Southee, the ball moving off the deck and leaving Khawaja's straight bat.

Good leave again from Khawaja, lovely ball from Southee, that missed the outside of off stump. Well played all round - a terrific battle this.

Driven by Khawaja to a wide mid off for no run.

Too wide from Southee and Khawaja leaves it.

Now Southee is too straight and Khawaja clips off his pads for a couple to end the over.

Too straight, Khawaja clips off his pads to deep square leg for an easy single.

BEATEN! That's a great ball, Smith attempts a drive but the ball swings away just enough to beat the outside edge. Great length, decent line too, Smith felt he was in business but it was the bowler who had the upper hand.

Smith clips the next away for a single through midwicket - Kuggeleijn wanted the swing to ensure that if he's pitching on middle and leg that it would clip the top of off - but that time there was no movement.

Khawaja defends.

Kuggeleijn isn't great at Khawaja, can't get his line right and Khawaja just clips off his pads for another single.

Smith flashes at a wide one but superb fielding in the gully saves a run or four.

Smith leaves outside off, three slips and a gully in place, the ball swinging from outside off and away towards those catchers.

Tighter delivery, same leave from Smith.

New Zealand need to make Australia's batters play more while the ball is moving so much.

FOUR! Beautiful shot from Smith, driving on the up between bowler and mid off along the ground to the boundary. Perhaps just a touch full from Southee but Smith played that beautifully.

Solid defence next up in response as Southee tightens his line onto off stump.

More gently away swing from Southee, too far away from Smith to tempt him into a flashing drive of which he is so capable of playing.

More away swing, another ball that Smith doesn't have to play and it's over.

Controversial bowler Scott Kuggeleijn, playing his second Test, starts well, the ball just shaping away and Smith reaches for it to fend to point.

Smith gets an inside edge onto his pad, clipping the ball to square leg. There is some excitement behind the stumps as they run a single.

Lovely ball from Kuggeleijn, Khawaja, squared up, the ball angles into him and he fends it back down the pitch. Good, full delivery from Kuggeleijn.

Too straight this time, Khawaja gobbles those up all day and gets a single to backward square leg.

Two slips in place and a gully, Smith untidily smashes a shorter ball back down the pitch for a single. Very untidy, off the toe of the bat, but it still went away.

Fuller ball to Khawaja, Kuggeleijn nudging 140kph so good pace, but Khawaja is equal to it.

No singles for 12 overs! Is that some kind of record? Kiwis applying good pressure, UK and Smudge hanging in well for now.

- Will

BEATEN! That's a lovely ball from Tim Southee, enticing Khawaja forward and then the ball holds its line outside off, beating the outside edge.

This is Southee's 100th Test, and he's having to be patient at the moment.

New Zealand have gone with four pace bowlers in his Test so you'd suggest he will be getting through plenty of work to lead by example.

Southee is no express, just nudging 130kph, but he's desperately accurate, the best of the Kiwi bowlers in that regard for consistency, and he has Khawaja just playing inside the line as he sends the ball across him.

A straighter ball to end that Khawaja clips to short midwicket for no run.

Fourth maiden in a row for the Aussies.

It is a shame not to be on free to air TV, but there is live radio coverage (and is there anything better than cricket on the radio? I'd say there's very little that can match it).

Apart from, of course, the blog! Thanks for being with us.

Morning all.

Thanks Dean. Wow, 15 overs of pace in the first hour of a Test match. It is possible...

So you'd have to say that's been a very good first hour for Australia.

Has New Zealand made the most of the lively looking new ball on this lively-ish looking pitch? Aside from a couple of plays and misses, you'd have to say it's been pretty wild and inaccurate from the Kiwis.

Smith on strike again.

Wild from O'Rourke. A short ball that flies miles over Smith's head and well down the leg side. Again, somehow not called a wide.

Another awful bouncer, this one outside the off stump, again not called a wide. Spare a thought for the keeper, who is working overtime trying to reel these in.

Over bowled, a maiden. We'll have a drink. And on the other side, Simon Smale will join you.