Aussies rebuked for scuffing ball

Umpire Richard Kettleborough has rebuked Australia for failing to return the ball to keeper Peter Nevill on the full in Christchurch.

The tactic is often used by teams attempting to scuff one side of the ball, which makes it possible for reverse-swing to come into play.

It is frowned upon by umpires, although generally allowed to happen.

Kettleborough took exception to the ball banging into the abrasive wicket block on day three of the second trans-Tasman Test.

The Englishman threatened to change the Kookaburra at one point, unhappy with a return from Usman Khawaja.

Khawaja defended himself, saying he attempted to get the ball to Nevill on the full.

"I think there was one or two errant throws that probably didn't quite hit the mark where they should have," Adam Voges told Optus Sport's Across the Ditch after play.

"He just asked us to keep the ball up, which I think we did pretty well after that."

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Speaking in his pre-match press conference, skipper Steve Smith was unsure whether his side would be able to make the ball 'go Irish' throughout this second Test, but Josh Hazlewood (1-40) and James Pattinson (3-29) were able to find movement with the old ball to make life particularly difficult for New Zealand's batsmen.

But Voges was adamant the Australians had done nothing wrong. 

"There's a line. I'm sure most fielding teams will get as close to the line as they can without overstepping it," Voges said. "That's the umpires' job, to tell us when we're getting close.

"That's what happened today and we kept it up pretty well after that."

NZ keeper BJ Watling described the bounce returns as part of the game.

"We do talk about that. You try and get it to go if you're not getting much swing," Watling said.

"You throw the ball in from the boundary and it bounces, it's just cricket. Maybe not the short ones."

Hazlewood, Mitch Marsh and Jackson Bird all had the old ball hooping during NZ's second innings in the first Test at the Basin Reserve.

"Our quicks have got the ability to swing the reverse swinging ball both ways, and probably just that extra little bit of air speed makes it more difficult as a batsman," Voges added.

"We've got it reversing a little bit quicker than what New Zealand have as well, which has been a pretty big advantage. We again got one of the sides a little bit scuffed and looked after the other side and away we went.

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"I thought James Pattinson was excellent tonight – he came in, bowled aggressively and with some really good pace.

"It was tough … the light was fading and he really cranked it up there for a while and got some good rewards.

"To have them four wickets down and still behind us, I think we're in a great position."

NZ paceman Trent Boult admitted last week he was surprised by how much reverse-swing the visitors generated in Wellington.

"We didn't get it to go at all," Boult said. "They got it to go nicely ... it was pretty surprising.

"We could learn a thing or two from them."

The Black Caps trail Australia by 14 runs with six wickets in hand heading into day four, needing to win the Test to square the Trans-Tasman series.