Australia vs New Zealand 1st Test Day 2: Starc carves through New Zealand after Australia score 416

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Mitchell Starc four wickets Australia New Zealand 1st Test Day 2 Perth cricket

Mitchell Starc finished with figures of 4-31 off 11 overs

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Australia left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc carved through New Zealand’s batting line-up with a four-wicket haul to keep his side on top in the first Test in Perth.

Starting off the day on 248/4, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head converted their 23-run stand into a 76-run partnership before Labuschagne was clean bowled by Neil Wagner for 143, which came off 240 balls and included 18 boundaries and a six.

Head went on to score 56, which came off 97 deliveries and included 10 boundaries, before he was caught by Mitchell Santner at cover off the bowling of Tim Southee.

Pat Cummins mustered 20 runs before being cleaned up by Jeet Raval, while Starc scored 30 before being caught by New Zealand captain Kane Williamson off the bowling of Southee.

Nathan Lyon fell shortly after as he was removed by Wagner for eight runs.

Australia were eventually bowled out for 416 when captain Tim Paine was caught behind off the bowling of Southee for 39.

Wagner and Southee picked up four wickets apiece, while Raval and Colin de Grandhomme chipped in with one wicket each.

Trailing by 416 runs, New Zealand were dealt a big blow on the fifth ball of their innings as Tom Latham was caught and bowled by Starc for a duck.

Raval only made one run before he was clean bowled by Josh Hazlewood, who left the field midway through his next over due to a suspected hamstring injury.

Williamson and Ross Taylor steadied things with a 76-run partnership before Williamson was brilliantly caught by Steve Smith at second slip off the bowling of Starc for 34.

Henry Nicholls only scored seven runs before he was caught behind off the bowling of Starc, who clean bowled Wagner, who was sent in as the nightwatchman, the very next ball.

Taylor and BJ Watling managed to forge an unbeaten 12-run stand before stumps was called.

Taylor finished on 66, which came off 86 balls and included eight boundaries, while Watling has yet to get off the mark.

Starc was the most successful bowler with four wickets, while Hazlewood claimed one.

New Zealand ended day two on 109/5 and will continue batting on Saturday at 13:00 local time or 05:00 GMT.

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