Australia defeated New Zealand by 172 runs in the opening Test on Sunday. Nathan Lyon claimed six wickets as the home team was reduced to 196 all out.
When the home team lost its final seven wickets for 70 runs on the fourth morning in Wellington, four of them went to off-spinner Lyon, the side collapsed. Having scored 10-108 for the match, he concluded with innings scores of 6-65 from 27 overs. The 36-year-old took advantage of the spin-friendly Basin Reserve conditions and some poor batting from New Zealand, who started the day at 111-3 and required 258 more runs to win in an uncommon victory.
The day’s surrender started in the seventh over when Lyon took the crucial wicket of Rachin Ravindra for 59 runs.
When he was caught by Cameron Green at point after failing to keep a cut shot down, Ravindra had only added three points to his score for the night.
Travis Head caught Tom Blundell in close but he did not score in that over, and shortly after, Glenn Phillips was trapped leg before wicket by Lyon to reveal the tail.
After failing to control a short ball from Green and being caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey, Scott Kuggeleijn scored 26 runs off 28 balls. Matt Henry was then dismissed for 14, having been caught at slip by Steve Smith off Josh Hazlewood.
Daryl Mitchell was the final wicket to go, for 38, after being caught and bowled by Hazlewood. Tim Southee was Lyon’s sixth victim.
After hitting a career-high 174 without losing in the first innings, Green was voted man of the match.
With Australia went into bat, Green came through to take Australia from 89–4 to 383 and establish a 204-run lead in the first innings. No one else scored in triple figures in a tough Test for batsmen.
On Friday, in Christchurch, the second and final Test will begin.
