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Kiwis 130 runs from improbable Test victory

New Zealand were 130 runs away from an improbable win and Australia five wickets from likely victory after the third day of a fluctuating first Test at Eden Park on Monday.

The Kiwis, set 281 runs to deny Australia their eighth consecutive Test victory, were making a good fist of it. At the close they were 151 for five with Craig McMillan leading the way with a back-to-form 57.

He was ably supported by allrounder Chris Cairns, who was unbeaten on 20 and whose big-hitting could prove decisive on Tuesday.

It was a day for records with Daniel Vettori finishing with career-best bowling figures of 7-87 in Australia's second innings for match analysis of 12-149, the best by a New Zealander in a Test at the ground.

The 21-year-old left-armer also became the youngest spinner in Test history to take a century of wickets.

Shane Warne, the greatest leg spinner of his time, equalled Dennis Lillee's Australian record 355 Test wickets when he bowled Nathan Astle around his pads with one of his trademark legbreaks to end the biggest partnership of the match of 78 with McMillan.

Warne went for 31 runs off his opening five overs, but came back decisively in his second spell to instantly find his length and end what was shaping as a dangerous partnership for Australia. It was not Warne, but rather offspinner Colin Miller who put the Kiwis under the skids early in their second innings when he removed Matthew Horne (11), Mathew Sinclair (6) and captain Stephen Fleming (8) with a magnificent delivery.

Fleming could not get his bat out of the way of the unplayable delivery from Miller with wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist taking an instinctive catch.

Astle and McMillan turned the tide and just when the Kiwis were thinking of an improbable victory, Warne removed Astle with another of his specials.

McMillan and Cairns resume on Tuesday morning with the prospect of edging their team closer to the target if they can prolong their 30-run partnership against the best bowling attack in world cricket.

But it was a day to savour for Vettori, who at 21 years and 46 days beat Pakistan's Saqlain Mushtaq (22 years and 324 days) to become the youngest spinner to achieve 100 Test wickets.

Relishing the turning Eden Park pitch, Vettori's match performance was second only to Richard Hadlee's 15-123 in Brisbane in 1985-86 as the best Test match figures by a New Zealander.

Gilchrist scored his fourth Test half-century and he hit six boundaries and a six off 87 balls in Australia's second innings of 229 to force New Zealand to score the highest innings of the low-scoring Test to win the match.

Australia have not beaten New Zealand in their last three Tests at Eden Park with their last victory coming here in 1977.

Gilchrist, averaging almost 70 in Tests, took the attack to the Kiwi bowlers by sweeping and cutting with the spin and minimising his shot-making risks as Kiwi captain Fleming struggled to keep the scoring in check and preserve New Zealand's chances of winning. He shared in a 67-run partnership with Damien Martyn, who became Vettori's 100th Test wicket when he was bowled for 36.

Warne hit three fours, two in succession off Vettori, and went for another lusty hit before lofting Vettori's next delivery to Paul Wiseman at backward point for 12.

Miller hit a six in his brief knock of eight and Glenn McGrath was trapped lbw by the other finger-spinner Wiseman for one.

New Zealand were soon in strife in their tough run chase and lost Matthew Horne to a bat-pad catch by by Justin Langer off Miller's fourth delivery to be out for 11 and leave the Kiwis 15 for one at tea. Mathew Sinclair, Craig Spearman and Fleming followed quickly bring together Astle and McMillan to resurrect the Kiwi innings and set up an intriguing finish to a remarkable Test.