New Zealand v Australia: first Test, day three – live

14th over: Australia 34-2 (Khawaja 8, Lyon 24) Khawaja continues in his sedate but merry fashion, a single brings Lyon on strike and he pushes nicely down the ground to pick up three runs.

13th over: Australia 30-2 (Khawaja 7, Lyon 21) Lyon shakes his mitt a few times but is good to continue. Shot! Southee sends down another short one but Lyon is up to it and more – pulling away over midwicket for a one bounce four.

12th over: Australia 26-2 (Khawaja 7, Lyon 17) Good and aggressive move from New Zealand as the short leg is put in close under the lid and Henry is bowling short of a length into the ribs. Lyon will have a job to do in the final innings with the ball, not a bad shout to get him hopping about the crease and thinking about protecting those magical digits. Sure enough he takes a blow on the glove and it looks a painful one.

11th over: Australia 23-2 (Khawaja 7, Lyon 14) Lyon flashes hard outside off stump and the edge flies up and over the slips for four, he can be a very dangerous batter if he gets his eye in. A single dropped into the off side sees Lyon keep strike.

10th over: Australia 18-2 (Khawaja 7, Lyon 9) Matt Henry to start from t’other end. He’s full and at the pads, Khawaja jamming down just in time to keep the bowler out. Cable knit on for Khawaja, it looks like it could even be a two jumper day. Three left alone wide of off stump before a quick single dropped into the off side. Lyon has one ball to face and… he flicks off his hip for a single to keep strike.

9th over: Australia 16-2 (Khawaja 6, Lyon 8) Tim Southee gets day three underway, three slips and a gully in place. Usman Khawaja takes a single off his pads to get Australia ticking. Close! Lyon gets a meaty edge on a decent length ball but it lands in the gap and the batters scamper two runs.

Here come the players, a stiff Wellington breeze rippling the whites as they take to the field. Fingers crossed for some fireworks… Let’s play!

Marnus’ lean patch continues. A needless flick late in the day saw him caught by the keeper down the leg side, exactly the sort of dismissal that happens when you are going through a bad trot.

It looks a bit cloudy and breezy in Wellington this morning, Tim Southee and Matt Henry have a ball that is only eight overs old and bowled with great skill last evening. It’s a cliche but the first hour is huge, if Australia make it through unscathed it could effectively be curtains for the Kiwis.

New Zealand need to take early wickets, realistically they need to blitz through Australia’s batting card in the next couple of hours to leave themselves a target of around 350. That might give them an outside chance…

Cameron Green will have to wait his turn for the time being, Usman Khawaja and nightwatchman Nathan Lyon will resume at the crease this morning.

Whilst I make myself comfortable and settle my haunches into the well worn grooves of the OBO armchair, why not catch up on yesterday’s action?

Hello and welcome to the day three OBO of New Zealand v Australia from the Basin Reserve in Wellington. Yesterday was a day to forget for the home side, after being skittled out cheaply for 179 runs they find themselves behind the 8 ball with plenty to do to get back in the match. A couple of quick wickets late last evening – Messrs Smith and Labuschagne back in the hutch cheaply – will have given them some hope but Pat Cummins’ men are ahead by a whopping 217 runs with eight wickets in hand.

Play begins at 11am local time, 9am AEDT, 10pm here in London. Jim here with the call, please do drop me an Email or tweet @Jimbo_Cricket. Let’s do this.