During the third day of the first Test match between New Zealand and Australia, the all-rounder Glenn Phillips helped the hosts make a little recovery after going behind quite a bit on the second day of play. Originally a wicketkeeper, Phillips is now an off-spinner in the side.
Considering that he caused Australia to crumble from 127/4 to 164 all out, he has been quite deadly at that. In Test matches, Phillips took his first five wickets, the first for a New Zealand spinner on home soil in fifteen years.
Day 3 morning, Usman Khawaja was the first victim of Phillips’ wicket-taking rampage as the seasoned left-hander was stumped. Before Phillips went through the middle order, Australia’s first innings star Cameron Green and Travis Head appeared to be making things worse for New Zealand with a quick 46-run combination.
After dismissing Head and Mitchell Marsh in quick succession, Phillips sent back Alex Carey as well. He then finally removed Green to cap off an outstanding fifer. With a few late wickets, Matt Henry enabled New Zealand to knock Australia out for less than 200.
FIVE-WICKET HAUL FOR GLENN PHILLIPS IN TEST AGAINST AUSTRALIA ??
– This is unbelievable….!!!!!pic.twitter.com/7bhOB96Fte
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 2, 2024
“I never thought it would be in home conditions” : Glenn Phillips
When Phillips said it was something of a dream fulfilled moment for him shortly after the innings, it hadn’t quite registered with him. He spoke to the broadcasters after the end of the Australia’s second innings.
The New Zealand all-rounder said, “It’s an absolute dream come true. I never thought it would be in home conditions … to be able to take a fifer. I definitely thought it was going to be more in the subcontinent. It’s a pretty surreal moment for me at the moment. Timmy is an incredible captain and he really gives the confidence to the guys out there. Also gives you the chance to be able to miss every now and then. As a spinner, you really need that and I’ve had a serious set of coaching staff who have helped me over the years. Also the bowling unit for us today, we definitely stuck to the things we wanted to stick to.”
