Australia set for series sweep

The Australians dismissed the Black Caps for 251 to lead by 203 runs on the first innings before batting a second time in a bid to build an overwhelming total with two days remaining.

At stumps on day three, the host was 40 without loss with David Warner on 23 and Joe Burns not out 16 and was expected to bat on for some time on the fourth day.

Off-spinner Nathan Lyon captured five for 68 to lead the Australian bowling attack, with Kiwi Test debutant Glenn Phillips top-scoring with a charmed knock of 52.

Phillips hit a cracking pull shot off Pat Cummins to raise his debut half-century before Cummins got him two balls later, ripping through his defence to take off-stump for 52.

Lyon bowled Will Somerville and Neil Wagner for ducks and fast bowler Matt Henry came out to bat despite fracturing his left hand earlier in the match.Henry ducked out of the way of a couple of Mitchell Starc thunderbolts directed at

his body before he was stumped off Lyon’s bowling to end the New Zealand innings.

It was the longest innings of a disastrous lost series for the Kiwis, bettering the 71 overs it faced in the second innings of the second Test in Melbourne.

The Black Caps lost three wickets in the middle session with the experienced Ross Taylor out lbw to Cummins for 22 in the second over after lunch. Taylor remains 20 runs away from becoming the highest-scoring New Zealand batsman in Tests, behind Stephen Fleming (7,172).

Wicketkeeper BJ Watling chopped a wide Starc delivery on to his stumps for nine off 30 balls to put his team under more pressure.

Colin de Grandhomme was needlessly run out for 20, taking on Matthew Wade’s throw from the deep to wicketkeeper Tim Paine while attempting a second run.

Lyon grabbed two key wickets in the morning session, removing Melbourne Test centurion Tom Blundell and recalled Jeet Raval.

Raval, who was dropped after twin batting failures as an opener in the first Test in Perth, batted

positively at number three before he was leg before wicket to Lyon for 31 off 58 balls.

Brief scores: Australia 454 all out in 150.1 overs and 40/0 in 16 overs vs New Zealand 251 all out in 95.4 overs