Australia slump to 294-6

Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer both scored centuries before Australia's celebrated batting line-up inexplicably collapsed on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand on Thursday.

Hayden struck 136 and Langer scored 104 to provide a flying start with a record opening stand of 224 before the middle order crumbled to leave Australia on 294 for six at the close.

New Zealand, who astonishingly said before the series that they had no real chance of winning, looked to be fulfilling their prophecy as the Australian openers plundered their attack for the first four and a half hours at the Gabba.

Hayden and Langer hardly played a false stroke in their first-wicket stand, an Australian Test record against New Zealand and a world record for two left-handed openers, before the touring team struck back to take six for 39.

All-rounder Chris Cairns triggered the collapse when he picked up the wickets of Hayden and Ricky Ponting in quick succession but it was the medium pacers of Craig McMillan that caused the most damage.

McMillan had taken just 18 wickets from his previous 31 Tests but claimed the scalps of Steve Waugh, Damien Martyn and Langer in a spell of three for seven to finish the day with the unlikely figures of three for 13.

New Zealand's late fightback partly vindicated captain Stephen Fleming's decision to field after he won the toss on what looked to be a good batting pitch.

The ball was moving in the air and deviating off the seam in the first hour but his bowlers failed to make an early breakthrough and the signs looked ominous as the pitch quickly flattened out.

Langer was content to play a cautious role after he survived a confident appeal for lbw off Cairns in the first over of the day.

MORE ADVENTUROUS

Hayden, in the familiar surrounds of his home ground, was far more adventurous, hitting his first boundary in the third over as he signalled his intentions early.

He reached his half-century off just 54 balls when he hit three successive fours off Shayne O'Connor and made it to 71 by lunch after smacking left arm spinner Daniel Vettori over the fence for the first of his two sixes.

He had a let-off on 83 when McMillan failed to hold a difficult chance at mid-on then brought up his fourth Test century and his third this year midway through the second session when he dispatched another loose ball from Vettori to the boundary.

He and Langer reached 199 by tea before their partnership came to an end after the interval when Hayden skied an attempted pull off Cairns to Mark Richardson.

Ponting went in a similar fashion with just five to his name before Nathan Astle claimed Mark Waugh lbw for a duck.

With wickets tumbling around him, Langer adopted a more attacking role and eventually brought up his ninth Test hundred when he drove Astle through the covers for his 13th boundary.

Steve Waugh fell when he edged McMillan behind to wicketkeeper Adam Parore before McMillan got Martyn for four and then Langer, both caught by Vettori in the deep.

Australia had slumped from 224 without loss to 263 for six within an hour but Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne knuckled down in the final half hour, adding 31 before stumps were drawn on a see-sawing day.

Scorecard:
Australian 1st innings | New Zealand 1st innings
Australian 2nd innings | New Zealand 2nd innings

Mail Cricket Editor