HOBART (Australia), Nov 24: A thunderstorm washed out play midway through the third day of the second cricket Test between Australia and New Zealand at Bellerive Oval here Saturday.

Lightning and heavy rain hit the ground at 2:53 pm (0353 GMT) forcing the players from the field until scheduled tea.

The field was saturated with pools of water in the outfield and follow-up rain prevented ground staff from preparing the pitch for a resumption of play. The match was officially abandoned at 5:05 pm (0605 GMT).

At the onset of the storm, New Zealand were 71 for two off 35 overs with Mark Richardson on 25 with skipper Stephen Fleming 16 in reply to Australia’s massive first innings 558 for 8 declared.

The Kiwis still have a mountain to climb and need a further 288 runs to pass the follow-on and make Australia bat again.

With more rain forecast for the remaining two days the Kiwis could yet achieve another draw, following the rain-marred first Test in Brisbane, which would leave the series locked going into the third and final Test in Perth starting next Friday.

In the little play possible Saturday New Zealand crept along, losing opener Matthew Bell and No.3 Mathew Sinclair in the process.

Jason Gillespie bowled Sinclair with a beautiful off-cutter on the first ball after lunch for 23, leaving the Kiwis at 53 for two.

Gillespie’s delivery went between Sinclair’s bat and pad and crashed into his middle stump as the batsman looked on in disbelief.

The day’s play began 75 minutes after the scheduled early start after rain with playing times amended.

The Kiwis were under pressure from aggressive bowling and fielding with their first boundary coming in the 17th over of the innings.

Bell’s lamentable series continued when he was dismissed for four grafted out in 54 minutes.

He attempted to sweep Shane Warne’s second ball of the match and 14th of the innings and the ball appeared to come off the leading pad to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.

Bell’s position in the New Zealand line-up is under pressure after scores of six and five in the drawn first Test.

Bell also put down Justin Langer in the second over of the Test Thursday’s opening day with the Australian opener going on to reach 123, his 10th Test hundred.

Third umpire John Smeaton made his Test debut on Saturday after Steve Davis, who had stood with West Indian Steve Bucknor for the first two days, injured his knee while jumping a fence as he left the ground Friday night.

Davis, 49, was admitted to a private hospital in Hobart Saturday and was due to have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Sunday.

Fourth umpire Barry Jackman, a first-class umpire in Australia, will be the third umpire for the remainder of the match.