ADELAIDE, Australia: New Zealand was struggling at 173-7 against Australia on Friday before dinner was served for the very first time in a cricket test, a civilized transition between tradition and progression on day one of the first day-night match in the format.
Brendon McCullum won the toss, elected to bat and New Zealand reached 80-2 in the first session after play started at 2 p.m. local time. But Australia dominated the evening session, taking five wickets — including three for four runs within 11 balls, all caught behind by Peter Nevill — to remove Tom Latham (50), Ross Taylor (21), McCullum (4), Mitch Santer, who scored 31 from 46 balls in his first test innings, and Mark Craig (11).
Mitch Starc led the Australian bowlers with 3-24 and offspinner Nathan Lyon returned 2-42.
Heading into the first session under lights in a test, New Zealand had B.J. Watson unbeaten on 24 and Doug Bracewell was on 5. The crowd had swelled to 44,405 during the first two sessions at the Adelaide Oval.
Both wickets in the first session were to lbw decisions. Josh Hazlewood made the first breakthrough when he trapped Martin Guptill (1) in front in the fourth over with the total at 7.
Latham and Kane Williamson (22) combined in a 52-run stand, initially scoring freely until Lyon and Peter Siddle dried up the run-rate in the second hour. The pressure paid off when Starc hit Williamson on the foot with an in-swinging yorker to make the New Zealand total 59-2.
Latham raised his half century with a cut boundary against Lyon in the over before tea but didn't add to his total after the interval, when a ceremony to mark the first anniversary of former Australia batsman Phillip Hughes' death was held at 4:08 p.m.
Latham got a top-edge to an attempted cut off Lyon to end the 35-run third-wicket stand with Taylor, who got an inside edge to Peter Siddle and was also caught behind.
Skipper McCullum compounded the pressure when he slashed at Starc and was also caught by the wicketkeeper.
Santner and Watling steadied the innings, adding 44 runs for the sixth wicket before Starc bowled Santner.
Lyon picked up his second wicket when he bowled Craig as the lights were coming on at the Adelaide Oval preparing for the night session.
The experimental pink ball withstood the first four hours and didn't really produce any exceptional difference to the regulation red balls. For the record: Starc bowled the first delivery with the pink ball in a test match, and Guptill faced it.
Australia leads the three-test series 1-0 after a 208-run win in Brisbane and a high-scoring draw in Perth.