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BRISBANE, Nov 3: New Zealand’s morale before the Test series against Australia improved Saturday with Chris Cairns taking five wickets against Queensland.
Pace bowler Cairns, who has lacked rhythm with the ball following his return from a serious knee injury, took five for 71 from 22 overs in Brisbane to help dismiss Queensland for 347. Australia Test opener Matthew Hayden made 97.
New Zealand were 53 for three in reply, an overall lead of 150, at the close after the third and penultimate day of the touring side’s final warm-up match.
The first game in the three-Test series against Australia starts in Brisbane Thursday.
Nathan Astle, who made 223 in New Zealand’s 444 for nine declared on Friday before suffering a groin strain.
Mathew Sinclair, on 17, and Craig McMillan, on 20, will be looking for quick runs when play resumes on Sunday at the Gabba ground after sharing an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 44.
New Zealand were nine for three after Andrew Bichel (two for 14) and Michael Kasprowicz removed Mark Richardson, Matthew Bell and captain Stephen Fleming cheaply.
NEW ZEALAND (1st Innings) 444-9 dec (N.J. Astle 223, S.P. Fleming 69).
QUEENSLAND (1st Innings, overnight 140-1):
M.L. Hayden c Bell b Martin 97
J.P. Maher st Parore b S’berger 47
M.L. Love c Parore b Cairns 39
C.T. Perren c McMillan b Cairns 34
A. Symonds c sub b O’Connor 48
S.G. Law c Sulzberger b Cairns 36
W.A. Seccombe c Parore b Cairns 1
A.J. Bichel run out 14
A.A. Noffke lbw McMillan 13
M.S. Kasprowicz c Fleming b Cairns 0
M.G. Johnson not out 6
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-7, NB-4) 12
TOTAL (all out, 110.3 overs) 347
FALL OF WKTS: 1-64, 2-162, 3-191, 4-271, 5-271, 6-286, 7-312, 8-339, 9-339.
BOWLING: Cairns 22-5-71-5 (4nb); O’Connor 27-11-43-1; Martin 22-5-66-1; Sulzberger 33-4-122-1; McMillan 6.3-0-37-1.
NEW ZEALAND (2nd Innings):
M.H. Richardson c Seccombe b K’wicz 0
M.D. Bell lbw b Bichel 4
M.S. Sinclair not out 17
S.P. Fleming c Seccombe b Bichel 0
C.D. McMillan not out 20
EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-10) 12
TOTAL (for three wkts, 20 overs) 53
FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-9, 3-9.
BOWLING (to-date): Kasprowicz 6-1-9-1 (2nb); Bichel 6-2-14-2 (4nb); Noffke 4-2-11-0; Johnson 3-1-17-0 (4nb); Law 1-1-0-0.—Reuters
