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Labuschagne's third straight ton keeps valiant Kiwis at bay

New Zealand lose Lockie Ferguson in sweltering heat as Australia's breakout star strokes unbeaten 110 on opening day of first Test

On an enervating day and balmy night, during which fortune deserted a brave New Zealand, Marnus Labuschagne stamped himself as Australia's number three batter for the ages with his third Test ton in as many innings.

Labuschagne's unbeaten 110 was both the foundation and the flourish in his team's 4-248 on day one of the Domain Test series against the Black Caps on which the mercury was the only other entity threatening to exceed one hundred.

Marnus' mighty summer continues with ton against NZ

But whereas that heat reading was made under the old Fahrenheit measure, Labuschagne has revealed himself to be the very essence of a modern cricketer having adapted from budding allrounder, to middle-order concussion substitute, to red-ball dominator, to pink-ball specialist.

He crowned his latest achievement in the most emphatic fashion, moving from 95 to 101 with a single blow before clenching his fists in triumph and embracing his batting partner and mentor, Steve Smith.

Labuschagne brings up third Test ton with daring six

Most tellingly the 25-year-old, whose previous Test knocks against Pakistan this summer have been 185 (in Brisbane) and 162 (Adelaide), was the only Australia batter after David Warner's shock dismissal to look comfortable against the tirelessly toiling New Zealand attack.

The loss of Matthew Wade (12) who offered no stroke to a violently swinging delivery with the second new ball left Labuschagne and vice-captain Travis Head (20 not out) to negotiate a challenging last half-hour.

Southee's super seed clean bowls leaving Wade

However, honours ultimately rested with the hosts, who resume their first innings on what is forecast to be another scorcher on day two.

Making the Black Caps' effort more admirable, and their onward task more daunting was the bittersweet debut experienced by fast bowler Lockie Ferguson who limped from the field after the second session with a calf injury.

Ferguson should have spent his first evening as a Test cricketer celebrating the rare achievement of dismissing the world's second-top ranked Test batter Smith for just 19, which would have been the case if Tom Latham had held the chance that flashed from Smith's errant cut shot and flew to second-slip.

Instead, the 28-year-old, who earned his Test call-up by bowling some blistering spells in short-form cricket, was awaiting the results of MRI scans on his injured right leg to learn whether he'll take any further active part in his debut match.


Misfortune had visited them a night earlier, when strike bowler Trent Boult was deemed unavailable having failed to fully recover from a side strain which meant fellow quick Ferguson was handed his Test cap in a low-key presentation at the team's hotel.

Then, when they convened at the cauldron-like Perth Stadium where the temperature nudged 38 degrees Celsius, the Black Caps were consigned to the field when skipper Kane Williamson called incorrectly at the coin toss.

'Copycat' Marnus sheds 'spaghetti arms' nickname

The ramifications of being forced out into the day's heat were mitigated by the knowledge conditions are expected to be replicated across the subsequent three days.

What became more crucial was the visitors' need to capture Australian wickets when the ball was new and their bowlers fresh.

But while the pink ball swung teasingly for Tim Southee, and flew at speed from the green-tinged surface for Ferguson, the breakthrough needed to stop their spirits sapping vapourised more readily than the last remaining moisture in the Perth pitch.

The Black Caps frustration was encapsulated by Southee when, having bowled a delivery that was bunted back to him by Joe Burns, he saw the opener had left his crease and hurled the ball at the stumps only to strike a startled Burns on the pad.

It prompted Australia's other opener, David Warner, to query the Kiwi quick's rush of blood and remind him of his team's reputation as 'the nice guys of cricket'.

Against the run of play, it was an error of judgement that brought a wicket after an hour.

Burns had resumed his role as support act to the ever-busy, utterly unhurried Warner and reached nine from 42 balls when he played across his front pad and was adjudged lbw to Colin de Grandhomme's gentle 122km/h seamers.

Aleem Dar, who today broke West Indian official Steve Bucknor's record of most Test matches umpired by standing in his 129th match, had little hesitation in raising his finger although Burns seemed keen to review the ruling when he consulted Warner.

It was decided a challenge would be imprudent, and replays then showed the ball would have missed the luckless opener's leg stump by some margin.

Fortune seemed to be swinging decidedly in NZ's favour come the end of the opening session when Warner was removed in circumstances that neither he nor the intrepid fans could quite believe.

Warner had cruised to 43 in ominously smooth fashion after his historic triple-century in Adelaide two weeks earlier, when he appeared momentarily deceived by a low full-pitch from Neil Wagner.

In shovelling the ball as it dipped towards the crease line, the former Australia vice-captain offered a similarly low chance to the bowler who claimed it cleanly in his outstretched right hand while sliding on his knees.

By the time umpires Dar and Nigel Llong had conferred and sought clarification on whether the ball had grazed the grass, Warner was headed for the sheds and Steve Smith was being welcomed to the middle.

Warner out early after Wagner's stunning one-hander

It was the tonic that the tourists needed before the day's long break, given their potency with the pink ball had been so reduced that left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner was summoned to the attack with a half-hour to play in the first session.

Williamson has been known to deploy Santner for a sneaky over before breaks in the hope of stealing a wicket, but his early arrival at the bowling crease today suggested he was to play a significant role in his team's bowling plans.

That need became more acute during the middle session as Labuschagne and Smith held firm, in the face of some appropriately 'dry' bowling that played on the Australia pair's patience.

Champagne Labuschange drinking up every moment

While Labuschagne was able to regularly release the stranglehold by finding the boundary with inventive strokes like the upper-cut over slips that brought his half-century (from 102 balls faced), Smith was clearly battling for the rhythm and surety that had defined his Ashes campaign.

After an hour's batting, Australia's best batter had eked out 11 runs from 58 balls.

An hour later, as the teams trudged off for cold showers and the dinner break, he had faced 100 deliveries and scored 31.

If the Australians were feeling frustrated, their rivals must have been bereft when Ferguson was sent to hospital for scans on his damaged calf and it became clear they would have to somehow prise out the bulk of the home side's batting with two specialist seamers and Santner's spin.

Even though the spinner found demonstrable turn in his spell immediately after dinner, it was not sufficiently daunting to prevent Labuschagne from skipping down the pitch and lifting him beyond the rope at long-on to reach his third Test century.

Labuschagne dazzles with glorious straight drive

In joining that sizeable coterie of players who reach a Test hundred with a six, Labuschagne added his name to a far more exclusive group as the ninth Australia batter to have posted centuries in three consecutive Test innings.

Leg-side trap for Smith perfectly planned: Wagner

That list includes Warner's name twice, but remarkably does not feature Smith whose struggle to find fluency ended in suitably exasperating fhasion on 43 when he fell to Wagner's clearly flagged plan of attack.

The left-armer, who has collected more than a third of his 189 Test wickets from short-pitched deliveries, banged in a bouncer that Smith obligingly swung to Southee placed strategically at backward-square leg.

The anguish on Smith's face as he stalked from the field, throttling his bat mid-blade, encapsulated the theme of trying and fluctuating day.

The first Domain Test is being broadcast live and free in Australia on Channel 7 as well as live and with no ad breaks during play on Fox Cricket. Fans in Australia can also live stream the match on Kayo via cricket.com.au and the CA Live app, where you can also find live and free radio streams from ABC Grandstand, Crocmedia and Macquarie 

Beat the heat but still enjoy the cricket! Twilight tickets for the Domain Test in Perth are just $25, granting entry for the second and third sessions of the day. Click here for more

Domain Test Series v New Zealand

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

New Zealand: Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson (c)

First Test: December 12-16, Perth Stadium day-night (Seven, Fox & Kayo)

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG (Seven, Fox & Kayo)

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (Seven, Fox & Kayo)