Finch, Carters blast Black Caps

Aaron Finch scored his maiden first-class double hundred as he and Ryan Carters put a significant dent in New Zealand's Test preparations on Thursday in their three-day tour match in Sydney.

The duo combined to take the Cricket Australia XI to 0-376 at stumps on day one at Blacktown International Sportspark, with Finch 214 not out, as Carters scored his fifth first-class ton with an unbeaten 156.

On a relatively benign pitch on a fine day in western Sydney, Finch and Carter started the day slowly to reach 0-81 at lunch.

They then significantly upped the ante against a battling Black Caps bowling line-up to record 0-217 at tea, and went on with it in the final session to bat out the day.

Highlights: Finch, Carters defy NZ in Blacktown

Finch's innings was a timely reminder to Victorian selectors after he was dumped from this week's Sheffield Shield opener.

"It's a pretty good start to the summer; I don't feel like my first-class form has been bad for a while," Finch said.

"I'm not a selector, but I think any time that you get left out is disappointing and it hurts. So to be able to get a hundred then go and get a double was really nice.

"I don't think I've batted through a day before. It was good to get in there and see off the new ball. It spun quite a bit, so it was quite challenging. Then, once we got into a partnership, myself and Ryan, we were able to play a few shots and put a bit of pressure back on them."

However, the impressive knocks were against an under-strength Kiwi bowling line-up.

Spearhead Trent Boult was left out of the New Zealand XI after playing in both of their previous tour matches, while Tim Southee left the field due to illness after bowling just three overs and didn't return.

Southee is expected to be fit for day two.

The conditions were unlike the pacy wicket expected at the Gabba for the first Test against Australia starting next Thursday, and Black Caps quick Matt Henry said the day wouldn't affect the Kiwis' confidence too greatly.

"I don't think we bowled very poorly – the ball didn't do much," he said.

"You can't beat time in your legs, you're getting time on the park and trying different things.

"We just need to keep batting away tomorrow."

The visitors have taken just two wickets across their two red-ball matches on tour so far, after dismissing only two CA XI batsmen in a two-day fixture last week in Canberra.

Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum used nine bowlers at Blacktown, including himself.

Two anguished back-to-back lbw appeals against Finch from McCullum off his own bowling late in the day typified the Kiwis' desperation.

The CA XI won the toss and elected to bat in New Zealand's final tour hit-out before the first Test in Brisbane.

CA XI
Aaron Finch, Ryan Carters, Cameron White, Kurtis Patterson, Ashton Turner, Hilton Cartwright, Matthew Short, Gurinder Sandhu, Mitchell Swepson, Liam Hatcher, Jake Reed. Riley Ayre (12th man)

New Zealand
Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum (c), Jimmy Neesham, BJ Watling, Mark Craig, Tim Southee, Doug Bracewell, Matt Henry. Mitchell Santner (12th man)