AUS vs NZ, Sydney Test: Nathan Lyon bags 5-for as Australia bundle New Zealand for 251

Australia's Nathan Lyon. (Photo by JEREMY NG / AFP)


Nathan Lyon took a five-wicket haul as Australia bundled New Zealand for 251 on day three of the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to take a lead of 203 in the first innings.

Lyon took the wickets of Tom Blundell (49), Jeet Raval (31), William Somerville (0), Neil Wagner (0) and Matt Henry (3) to return with the figure of 5/68, his first-ever 5-for at the SCG.

Resuming the day’s play at an overnight score of 63/0, the Kiwis lost their first wicket in the form of Blundell. Jeet Raval showed some resistance for his stay of 58 balls but could not convert it into a bigger score. Captaining the side in place of Kane Williamson, Tom Latham missed a deserved half-century for his gritty knock of 49.

Debutant Glenn Phillips, though, lived a charmed life as he scored a half-century to keep the Blackcaps in a fighting position. Dropped twice and caught off a no-ball, Phillips made good use of his fortune to score 52 in his stay off 115-ball innings.

The middle-order was lackadaisical, to say the least, as Australia pacer Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc were right on the money. The former continued his brilliant form for his number of 3/44.

BJ Watling (9) did not stand up to his reputation of stay at the crease for an elongated period as he played-on a wide delivery from Starc to give the pacer his only wicket of the innings. Colin de Grandhomme was needlessly run-out while batting at 20.

The third session saw the Blackcaps losing their last four wickets in just 16 runs with the first two coming in at an identical score of 235.

Earlier, Marnus Labuschagne, who continued his stellar show with the bat, ruled the second day’s play to score his maiden double century to help the Aussies post a mammoth 454 in the first innings after they opted to bat.