11.2 overs Australia 61 for 2 (Langer 25*) trail New Zealand 534 for 9 dec by 473 runs
Scorecard

Ricky Ponting's frisky cameo came to an end when he was caught behind off Chris Martin for 31 off 37 balls. Looking to force through the covers off the back foot, Ponting edged a delivery that got slightly big on him, and Adam Parore did the rest. Ponting played some glorious shots, but with less than four overs to play, this waft wasn't one of them.

8 overs Australia 51 for 1 (Langer 20*, Ponting 27*) trail New Zealand 534 for 9 dec by 482 runs

Australia weren't under the cosh for long. Ricky Ponting hit a couple of rasping pull shots off Chris Cairns, and Justin Langer was busily efficient off his legs. The New Zealand seamers too zealous in the pursuit of wickets, and though there were isolated snorters, there was also far too much loose stuff which allowed Australia to motor along at more than six an over. They certainly haven't settled for a draw.

2 overs Australia 7 for 1 (Langer 1*, Ponting 4*) trail New Zealand 534 for 9 by 527 runs

After partnerships of 158, 224 and 223, the Matthew Hayden-Justin Langer axis was due a failure, and Hayden obliged with a second-ball duck. Looking to turn Shane Bond to leg, Hayden sliced almost off the back of the bat to Lou Vincent in the gully. He took a sharp, low catch and Australia were 3 for 1. It could have been 3 for 2, as Ricky Ponting got a big inside-edge to his second ball which missed his off stump by a whisker.

162.2 overs New Zealand 534 for 8 (Astle 156*)

At last. After 72 barren overs Australia finally picked up their first wicket of the day when Adam Parore smacked a Brett Lee bouncer straight to Glenn McGrath at fine leg. Parore had made 110 and he and Nathan Astle had added 253, the second-highest eighth-wicket partnership in Test history.

157 overs New Zealand 508 for 7 (Astle 142*, Parore 102*)

Adam Parore swept Shane Warne meatily over square leg to bring up a splendid second Test century. He had been dropped on 92, but it was only a technical chance as the bowler Damien Martyn got fingertips on a scorching drive that flew to the long-off boundary. It was only the second time that four batsmen had made centuries in a Test innings against Australia – the first was against England at Trent Bridge in 1938. Nathan Astle also carried on merrily, hammering Warne for three boundaries in four balls and moving to his highest Test score. Australia were going round the park.

140 overs New Zealand 433 for 7 (Astle 102*, Parore 68*)

Nathan Astle reached his first Test hundred against Australia as he and Adam Parore started to eat into the record books at Perth. When Glenn McGrath dropped short Astle scuffed a pull to fine leg for four. The next ball, another short one, Astle picked up perfectly, swatting it through square leg for four. That took him to 96, and four balls later he lashed McGrath through mid-off to go to his seventh Test ton. Steve Waugh turned to his brother Mark, who was promptly launched over midwicket for four by Parore. That took the partnership to 145, a new national record for the eighth wicket in Tests, and 21 runs had come from three overs. Much more of this and even Australia's jet-propelled batsmen will be hard pushed to fashion a winning position.

132 overs New Zealand 403 for 7 (Astle 87*, Parore 53*)

Australian hands were on hips as Nathan Astle and Adam Parore ground on at the WACA. Astle slammed Brett Lee through the off side off the back foot for four and then drove him classically through extra cover before Parore worked an increasingly exasperated Glenn McGrath through the covers for four to reach a very fine half-century. It also brought up New Zealand's 400. The slow hand-clapping started, Steve Waugh misfielded, and Australia for once were looking ragged.

127 overs New Zealand 379 for 7 (Astle 73*, Parore 45*)

Nathan Astle and Adam Parore carried on serenely after lunch at the WACA. Astle went to his highest score against Australia, and the pair posted New Zealand's highest eighth-wicket partnership against the Aussies. It was also the highest by any country for that wicket at Perth. Not many visiting teams score 400 on this ground (it's happened only once in the past 23 innings), but New Zealand were creeping slowly there. Suddenly the unthinkable – Australia not winning a home series against New Zealand – did not seem quite so impossible.

111 overs New Zealand 329 for 7 (Astle 52*, Parore 17*)

Nathan Astle reached a patient 14th Test fifty as New Zealand continued to deny Australia at the WACA. Astle was in poor touch yesterday, but he found his timing from the start this morning, working Brett Lee to long-off for four and then driving him square to reach his half-century from 124 balls. Astle was getting good support from a virtually strokeless Adam Parore, and though it wasn't thrilling – only 36 runs had come from 21 overs – New Zealand did not mind about that.

104 overs New Zealand 315 for 7 (Astle 40*, Parore 15*)

The pressure was briefly released when Glenn McGrath dropped short outside off and Nathan Astle clouted him square of the wicket for four. That brought up the 300, the first time in 15 innings that New Zealand had made that many against Australia . Even though runs were coming slowly – just 22 off 14 overs this morning - Australia were getting frustrated. Jason Gillespie flapped his arms like a seagull in his delivery stride in an attempt to put Nathan Astle off, but Astle responded by carting the short delivery brusquely over mid-on for four. Slowly but surely New Zealand were inching towards a workable first-innings total of 350.

97 overs New Zealand 297 for 7 (Astle 31*, Parore 6*)

Only four runs came in seven overs at the start of the second day at the WACA, as Nathan Astle and Adam Parore looked to arrest New Zealand's slide. Glenn McGrath's second delivery left Parore and took the edge, but the chance fell just short of Mark Waugh at second slip. McGrath and Jason Gillespie were finding plenty of nip and movement, beating the outside edge almost at will, but New Zealand were refusing to buckle.

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