Australia v New Zealand: first Test, day two – live!

108th over: Australia 310-5 (Head 46, Paine 3) Travis Head, the Loosest Man Alive. He nails a pull shot against Wagner for four, which Aleem Dar at square leg has to jump over and which nearly whacks him in the Jatz. But then Head keeps stepping across to try to glance Wagner to fine leg. Wagner is still coming around the wicket and bowling at the hip. Head keeps ending up outside off stump, threatening to glove those down leg side. There’s also a leg slip in place if he hits one. But he’ll just keep doing it, because he’s Travis Head: TLMA.

107th over: Australia 306-5 (Head 42, Paine 3) A couple of runs for Paine, who has been on 1 for a long time, as de Grandhomme bowls too straight. Clipped away. Colin gets back on line immediately, five times around the off stump for Paine to decide whether to block or leave.

106th over: Australia 304-5 (Head 42, Paine 1) A maiden from Wagner, who takes Head’s name as an inspiration in what to aim for. The fire I mentioned earlier is a scrub fire at Belmont racecourse, and the footage on the TV just looks like a bunch of small palm trees burning. It’s all a bit Miami Vice. Anyway, it’s being put out so apparently all is well. In this very specific instance.

105th over: Australia 304-5 (Head 42, Paine 1) Travis Head continues to be a mystery. He is probably the loosest specialist batsman I’ve ever seen, and yet he consistently makes runs. While looking like he should get out at any minute the entire time. Same again, as he swishes and misses at de Grandhomme outside off, then runs a ball straight to Nicholls at cover point and tries to take a run. Paine refuses, rightly, and Head is out of his ground as Nicholls’ throw misses the stumps and gives him an overthrow.

104th over: Australia 303-5 (Head 41, Paine 1) Back underway, and Wagner is carrying on with his left-arm line around the wicket to the left-handed Travis Head, using a sharp angle into the batsman to bounce him. Interesting move, giving Head no room to play really with an accurate line. Then when Paine comes on strike Wagner goes over the wicket and bowls full, presumably looking for a leg-before chance.

103rd over: Australia 302-5 (Head 40, Paine 1) So it’s back to consolidation time, with Paine facing out a maiden from de Grandhomme. New Zealand still a chance to hold Australia to something attainable if they can get through the second half of the batting order for 50 or 60. Drinks break.

102nd over: Australia 302-5 (Head 40, Paine 1) Nearly two in the over for Wagner, who has Head fending just wide of short leg. Tim Paine is at the crease, just his second bat for the summer.

Oh dear! It’s always such a surprise these days when Marnus gets out. He looks immovable but Wagner has got the breakthrough! He has worked so hard through both days of this Test match, and finally he gets his reward. Strange dismissal, left-arm around the wicket and angling in to Labuschagne, who steps across and tries to flick it to the leg side. But he misses and has stepped so far across that he exposes leg stump, and Wagner clips it. Perhaps some swing into the right-hander? Wagner is delighted. It’s hard not to love his cricket.

101st over: Australia 298-4 (Labuschagne 141, Head 39) Hard work for bowlers on the second day, and de Grandhomme isn’t his first-day self. Gets a bit straight on a couple of occasions, and twice Marnus takes him away through midwicket, once to the boundary and once for two.

100th over: Australia 292-4 (Labuschagne 135, Head 39) Wagner has now gone full short ball. Marnus doesn’t mind, pulling for a brace and then a one. Head is content to duck against a leg-stump line.

99th over: Australia 289-4 (Labuschagne 132, Head 39) Southee is done with his spell and runs off for a Zooper Dooper, and de Grandhomme replaces him. He’s on the money first up, testing length and a bit of shape to Head. But he’s too full with the next two. Williamson saves the first, diving at mid-off to field at full length, so Head drives straighter next time, inside that line and down the ground for four.

98th over: Australia 285-4 (Labuschagne 132, Head 35) Wagner tries a short ball but goes way down leg side. He’s probably pretty sore and tired after yesterday, bowled three long spells in the heat. Then he has a slip from the hand while trying to bowl a slower ball and Labuschagne hits the full toss straight down the ground for four.

97th over: Australia 279-4 (Labuschagne 127, Head 34) So there’s a fire burning behind Optus Stadium now. That’s good. That’s great. Everything is fine in Australia in summer, no problems here at all. It looks a fairly minor fire but there’s a big plume of smoke coming off it. Southee bowls too full to Marnus, who drives it dead straight down the ground for four. That’s classy. Then Head gets width and carves it behind point, his absolute pet shot. Runs flowing, 11 from the over. Well and truly Australia’s morning.

96th over: Australia 268-4 (Labuschagne 121, Head 29) Wagner coming in to Labuschagne, and bowls a snorter! Terrific short ball, up at the throat and Marnus coming forward is startled by it, flinching and getting gloves up to it. If NZ had a bat-pad on the off side then that would have been a simple catch. Not to be. Another short ball doesn’t get up and Labuschagne pulls uncertainly for a slow single. Head flicks off his pads, but Latham at a deep bat pad on the leg side makes a fine stop.

95th over: Australia 267-4 (Labuschagne 120, Head 29) Southee gives up a pie to Head, glanced through fine leg for four. But everything outside off has Head looking a little shaky, as is his wont, and he gets a thick leading edge at one stage towards point.

94th over: Australia 263-4 (Labuschagne 120, Head 25) A leg gully in for Labuschagne now, a la Smith yesterday, though Marnus plays far more off-side than Smith. For all the talk of their similarities it’s much more in terms of mannerism than in terms of actual technique or scoring. New Zealand tried to get Marnus with a wide line outside off yesterday, drawing him into a nick, and he nearly did nick on a few occasions. Today he stabs a single to that leg gully region, then Wagner tries a couple of short balls to Head and is nearly rewarded with a glove behind.

93rd over: Australia 261-4 (Labuschagne 119, Head 24) Nice shape for Southee again, under hot sun on this green-tinged pitch. The ball stayed in great nick yesterday, always giving the bowlers a little. It’s Southee rather than Wagner who reaches first for the bouncer, but Marnus hooks off his eyebrows for a single. He looks very comfortable playing that shot, it’s one of his strengths. Southee comes around the wicket to the left-handed Head, angling and then swinging the ball in sharply at off stump, close to the ball that bowled Wade last night. Head plays it though, and blocks it. Then forces away three runs through point. Labuschagne likes the intent and cover drives for four! Too full and dealt with. Then drives another run wide of mid-on.

92nd over: Australia 252-4 (Labuschagne 113, Head 21) Lockie Ferguson is down by the side of the field in a moon boot. It does make you wonder about the endless debate around injury substitutes in Test matches, rather than just concussion subs. But it’s such a complicated issue that it never seems to get anywhere. Wagner starts his bowling day by going full, not going to waste the new ball. Head drives a single, Marnus steers three runs behind point.

91st over: Australia 248-4 (Labuschagne 110, Head 20) Southee kicks off with a maiden. The ball is swinging for him, but he’s just a bit wide of the off stump to Marnus, who leaves most of the over alone.