Black Caps sinking at the Gabba
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Double blow... Brett Lee snared the wickets of Ross Taylor and Jamie How. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)
All-rounder Shane Watson continued New Zealand's punishment on a wildly unpredictable Gabba pitch, removing Grant Elliott for 9 on day two of the second Test in Brisbane.
Watson (2 for 28) took Australia's second wicket of the second session when he rattled Elliott's stumps, following up Brett Lee's dismissal of Ross Taylor (40) to leave the Black Caps in dire straits at 6 for 127.
Lee removed the key threat of Taylor for 40 when he had the Kiwis dangerman trapped lbw in the first over after lunch, taking his career record to 299 Test wickets with 2 for 31 from 10 overs.
Taylor had provided the stabilising influence for New Zealand, crafting 40 as his partnership with Daniel Flynn took the visitors past the 100-run mark at the first interval of the day.
Flynn remained unbeaten on 15, joined at the crease by New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori.
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Australia's four-pronged pace attack struck once each in the morning session to have New Zealand under fire at 4 for 108 at lunch.
Stuart Clark set the tone with the first ball of the day when he had Aaron Redmond caught by Ricky Ponting at second slip for 3, before his colleagues chipped in to remove Jamie How (14), Jesse Ryder (30) and Brendon McCullum (8).
Australia required a successful morning after being dismissed for a paltry 214 on the opening day on a greentop pitch left underdone by powerful and persistent storms over the past week in Brisbane.
Clark (1 for 31) and Lee got the Aussies off to a good start with wickets in quick succession, Lee following up Clark's first-ball scalp when he clean-bowled How to leave the Kiwis 2 for 44.
Watson, who took 10 wickets for 321 runs in Australia's recent tour of India, was brought on as the first change to the strike partnership of Lee and Clark, and struck a blow to remove Ryder for 30 just as he was starting to build momentum.
Ryder teased an edge through to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin as he sought to cut a wide Watson delivery, but misjudged his shot to leave the Black Caps struggling at 3 for 64 in the 20th over.
McCullum then arrived at the crease burdening an expectation that he could revive the Black Caps' first innings in partnership with Taylor.
But New Zealand's star wicketkeeper/batsman became Australia's fourth scalp when he edged through to Ponting off the bowling of Johnson (1 for 30), giving each of the baggy green pacemen a wicket for the morning.
Andrew Symonds sought his first wicket of the innings in the penultimate over of the session, but had his lbw appeal on Taylor turned down by umpire Rudi Koertzen as replays revealed the ball had struck bat-pad.
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