Cameron Green scored century as Australian batters falter on first day of New Zealand Test

Centurion Cam Green credits a quick trip to Tasmania for his Test heroics, taking his Sheffield Shield form into the international arena.

Green rescued Australia after a wobble either side of lunch when Pat Cummins’ side lost 4-28 to sit uncomfortably at 4-89.

After weathering the storm of a green Wellington pitch, striking his first 50 in 108 balls, Green then exploded, hitting his second half-century at better than a run-a-ball to finish with an unbeaten 103 as Australia closed the first day at 9-279.

The exclamation point came in the last over when he thrashed Will O’Rourke for three boundaries to ensure he ended the day with a century under his belt, rather than giving himself a restless night in the nervous 90s.

“I just tried to find something out there,” he said.

“I didn’t really feel I had the ebb and flow ... it was quite tough when I went out there and even on a flat wicket I still take time to get in.”

The century came at a sweet moment for Green, who scored a maiden ton in India in March last year but hadn’t reached a half-century in 11 innings since.

The 24-year-old allrounder’s innings was his best for a year, and one of the most consequential of his career.

“Probably equally as relieving as my first (century),” he said.

“Mainly proud of pulling the team to a reasonable total.”

The Kiwis got off to a fierce start after electing to bowl as Matt Henry led an all-pace assault on a green Basin Reserve wicket in Wellington on Thursday, taking 4-43 and troubling Australian batsmen across all three sessions.

Steve Smith was Henry’s first victim, caught behind defending a ball that deviated off the pitch as Australia limped to 1-62 at lunch.

Marnus Labuschagne (one) followed shortly after the break having barely troubled the scorers, edging Scott Kuggeleijn to first slip with a similar delivery.

It was Labuschagne’s fifth failure in a row after four scores of 10 runs or fewer in the home series against West Indies.

After dogged early resistance, Usman Khawaja (33 off 118 deliveries) fell from a Henry change-up, the 32-year-old ripping an inswinger that crashed through the opener’s defence and bowled him.

When Travis Head (one) followed - caught behind off O’Rourke - the very next over, Australia were rocking, having lost 4-28 and with two new batters at the crease.

From 4-89, Green worked with Mitch Marsh (40) and others to steady the ship, ensuring a balanced first day of the much-anticipated series. Marsh struck a run-a-ball 40 featuring half a dozen boundaries and a six.

Green credited Marsh with arresting New Zealand’s momentum.

“It was exactly what we needed at the time to put some pressure back on them ... it put them on the back foot,” he said.

Alex Carey and the Australian bowlers fell steadily thought the last session - with Cummins (16) out lbw to part-time spinner Rachin Ravindra - but Green continued on, pushing the Australian total past 250.

Green enjoyed decent form in Australia’s one-day international series with West Indies, but knew he needed more time in the middle to improve his red-ball form.

Putting his hand up for Sheffield Shield duties last week, Green played with Western Australia at Bellerive Oval, scoring a game-saving second innings century alongside former Test player Cameron Bancroft.

“It was really important,” he said.

“I probably struggled to have the red-ball practice leading in, it’s been always one or two net sessions and then thrown into the deep.

“That’s what international cricket is like at the moment ... so it’s always nice to spend some time out in the middle before a Test series.”

In just their second Tests, Kiwis O’Rourke (2-59) and Kuggeleijn (2-56), who was preferred to spinner Mitchell Santner, played able support hands to veteran pacemen Henry and Southee.

New Zealand might rue missing taking a fifth wicket when they were well on top after lunch.

“That’s international cricket ... it all comes down to moments of pressure and absorbing them and they absorb that pressure,” Henry said.

“To have them nine down, it’s a great position but we’ve still got a job to do in the morning.”