Australia poised for clean sweep

HAMILTON, APRIL 2. Australia was 73 runs away from a series clean sweep and its 10th consecutive Test victory after the third day of the third and final cricket Test against New Zealand here on Sunday.

When bad light stopped play eight overs from the end, Australia, needing 210 runs to win, had sprinted to 137 for three off 28 overs with the Test at its mercy with two days' play remaining.

No. 3 Justin Langer led the Australian assault with a brisk unbeaten 72 as the Australians scored at around five runs an over to all but end the Kiwis' hopes of an upset victory. The last rites are expected to be performed early on Monday unless weather intervenes.

Australia has already claimed the series with wins in the Auckland and Wellington Tests and is bidding for Test win No. 10, which would be just one short of the West Indies' record.

Any New Zealand hopes of an early tremor in the Australian innings after Michael Slater's dismissal for nine in the fourth over were blown away by Langer and Matthew Hayden's aggressive approach. The pair put on 83 runs for the second wicket in 60 minutes to swing the odds of victory solidly towards Steve Waugh's team.

The Kiwis removed Hayden for 37 when he went to drive spinner Paul Wiseman and edged to Craig Spearman at slip. Mark Waugh was out to a dreadful decision by New Zealand umpire Steve Dunne, who ruled he was out to a bat-pad catch to Mathew Sinclair off Wiseman for 18 when television replays clearly showed that the ball had struck Waugh's thrusting pad. At the close, Steve Waugh was on one with Langer on 72.

The Australians dismissed the Kiwis for 209 in their second innings. Chris Cairns again played another of his free- hitting knocks to push the New Zealand total past 200 after it was struggling at 130 for six at lunch.

Cairns smashed 10 boundaries and two sixes in his 71 off 104 balls to revive the Kiwi innings through partnerships of 35 with Adam Parore (16) and 54 with Paul Wiseman (16). Glenn McGrath grabbed the vital breakthrough when he deceived Cairns with a slower delivery and bowled him for the ninth wicket.

It continued a marvellous series for Cairns who scored 35 and 20 in the first Test, 109 and 69 at Wellington and 37 and 71 in this Test for a series aggregate of 341 runs.

Wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist, who scored 75 in the first innings, finished with 10 dismissals in the match for an Australian record.

Brett Lee, who took a Test best five for 77 in the first innings, finished with three for 46 off 18.4 overs while new ball bowling partner McGrath claimed the key wickets of Cairns and Parore.

- AFP

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