ADELAIDE, Nov 30: Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke hit centuries as Australia gained a massive first innings lead of 265 over New Zealand on the third day of the second and final Test here on Sunday.

Wicket-keeper Haddin scored an aggressive 169, his maiden Test century, while Clarke made 110 to help Australia pile up 535 in perfect batting conditions at the Adelaide Oval.

Openers Aaron Redmond and Jamie How negotiated nine overs in New Zealand’s second innings to take the tourists to 35 without loss in a match they must win to level the series.

Australia started the day at 241 for three and New Zealand experienced some false hope when Martin removed Michael Hussey on 70 to a misguided pull and then benefitted from a caught-behind decision against Andrew Symonds. Haddin and Clarke quickly shut down the brief revival at 247 for five.

With a mixture of Clarke’s careful shot selection and Haddin’s exuberant strokeplay, the pair added 181 in 198 minutes for the sixth wicket.

Haddin needed only 133 deliveries to reach his century, swinging his arms around in celebration after scoring his maiden Test hundred in his ninth match.

Dropped at mid-on off New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori while on 72, Haddin crashed 16 boundaries in his century, reaching the milestone in 168 minutes. Vettori also had a confident appeal for a pad-glove catch turned down with Haddin on 102.

Clarke, who had scored his hundred only two overs before Haddin achieved the feat, was caught at point off the bowling of hard-working paceman Iain O’Brien, who finished with three for 111.

Clarke, the Australian vice-captain who registered his third century in consecutive matches at the ground, continued his high-scoring 2008, reaching his ninth career hundred and fourth this year with a quick single to square leg in the post-lunch session, raising his bat to the crowd as fiancee Lara Bingle applauded from the stands.

His hundred came off 218 balls and took almost five hours, erasing some of the pain of getting out for 98 in the first Test in Brisbane.

Clarke’s 110 included 11 fours.

Tailenders Brett Lee (19) and Mitchell Johnson (23) made handy contributions batting with Haddin.

Haddin was ninth man out caught in the deep after smashing 24 fours and two sixes in exactly five hours of entertaining hitting.

As the breakthrough innings wound down Haddin maintained his tempo, striking two sixes off the leg-spin of Redmond. On a day of firsts – he did not own a Test half-century when he walked out – he brought up his 150 with a sweep from out of the rough and was charging in the manner of Adam Gilchrist, his predecessor in the national team. When he was ninth-out, having been caught by Peter Fulton on the midwicket boundary, the spectators rose to applaud their new hero.

Clarke kissed his helmet after hesitating over the single that earned his 10th Test hundred, but his celebration was nothing compared to Haddin’s when he raised three figures. He swung his arms and lifted them high towards the dressing room and the players who understood his battles of the past two months.

Vettori started the day with a limp but did not let it affect him and operated for 30 overs straight before lunch till after tea. In 59.4 overs in the innings Vettori had only the wickets of Simon Katich and the No 10 Nathan Hauritz next to 124 runs. Sometimes the game isn’t fair. Redmond captured two victims, the same number as Chris Martin.

Vettori was treated respectfully by the Australian batsmen all day long but the Kiwis could not sustain pressure from the other end.

Scoreboard

NEW ZEALAND (1st Innings) 270 (A.J. Redmond 83; B. Lee 4-66).

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings, overnight 241-3):

M.L. Hayden run out 24

S.M. Katich c Ryder b Vettori 23

R.T. Ponting c Fulton b O’Brien 79

M.E.K. Hussey c Redmond b Martin 70

M.J. Clarke c Ryder b O’Brien 110

A. Symonds c McCullum b Martin 0

B.J. Haddin c Fulton b Redmond 169

B. Lee c Taylor b O’Brien 19

M.G. Johnson c McCullum b Redmond 23

N.M. Hauritz b Vettori 1

S.R. Clark not out 1

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-8, W-1, NB-5) 16

TOTAL (all out, 157.4 overs) 535

FALL OF WKTS: 1-38, 2-49, 3-155, 4-244, 5-247, 6-428, 7-470, 8-526, 9-532.

BOWLING: Martin 27-4-110-2; Southee 27-1-100-0; Vettori 59.4-20-124-2 (2nb, 1w); O’Brien 31-6-111-3; Ryder 7-1-33-0; Redmond 6-0-47-2 (3nb).

NEW ZEALAND (2nd Innings):

A.J. Redmond not out 15

J.M. How not out 13

EXTRAS (LB-3, NB-4) 7

TOTAL (for no wkt, 9 overs) 35

BOWLING (to-date): Lee 3-1-25-0 (4nb); Clark 2-1-6-0; Johnson 2-2-0-0; Hauritz 2-1-1-0.—Agencies