Australia captain Pat Cummins bowled Kane Williamson in the final hour on the second day of the second Test, just as the batter threatened an innings that would put New Zealand on top.
After 14 wickets fell on day one and seven more before tea on the second day, Williamson (51) and Tom Latham (65no) hit the pause button on a frenetic match with a partnership of 105 that erased Australia’s first-innings lead and put the home side 17 runs ahead in Christchurch.
Cummins brought himself back on to bowl in the late afternoon gloom and struck with his first delivery – Williamson, playing his 100th Test, dragging onto the stumps as he attempted a drive.
Latham, dropped late in the day by wicketkeeper Alex Carey off Josh Hazlewood, will resume on Sunday alongside Rachin Ravindra (11no) with New Zealand 40 runs ahead on 134-2.
New Zealand, 1-0 down in the two-Test series after a thumping 172-run defeat in Wellington last week, have not beaten Australia on home soil for 31 years.
Seamer Matt Henry had earlier kept the Black Caps in the contest with bowling figures of 7-67 as New Zealand dismissed Australia for 256 and restricted the visitors to a first-innings advantage of 94.
Marnus Labuschagne rediscovered his batting touch with a fine innings of 90 to make up most of that lead but was denied a 12th Test century by a flying catch at gully from Glenn Phillips off the bowling of New Zealand captain Tim Southee.
The dismissal sent the Australians, who skittled their hosts for 162 on Friday and resumed on 124-4, into lunch on 221-8, before Henry ended the tailend resistance by removing Mitchell Starc (28) and Pat Cummins (23).
Henry also dismissed Nathan Lyon (20) as he nabbed a five-wicket haul for the second successive match.
Starc struck early for the Australians to remove Will Young (1) with a delightful rising delivery that came off the shoulder of the opener’s bat and flew into Carey’s gloves.
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