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Australia's Adam Voges has
been likened to legend Sir Donald Bradman after lifting his average to more
than 100 in the first Test against New Zealand.
Voges, 36, ended day two
in Wellington on 176 not out to move ahead of Bradman, whose career average of
99.94 from 52 Tests is the best of all time.
Voges' average is 100.33,
although that would drop to 92.4 if he did not score any more runs in his 19th
Test innings.
Usman Khawaja hit 140 as
Australia closed day two on 463-6, a lead of 280.
The pair put on 168 runs
for the fourth wicket and Khawaja, who has scored four centuries in his last
six Test innings, said he may start calling his batting partner "Sir
Voges" in a nod to Bradman who is considered to be Test cricket's greatest
ever batsman.
Voges has scored three
successive centuries, adding to the 269 not out and an unbeaten 106 against
West Indies in December to take him past India legend Sachin Tendulkar's record
of most Test runs between dismissals, which stood at 497.
He has extended that to
551 runs but he should have been out for seven in the final over of Friday's
first day at the Basin Reserve when he was bowled by Doug Bracewell - but
English umpire Richard Illingworth called a no-ball, when television replays showed
it was a legitimate delivery.
Khawaja described Voges'
innings as "almost faultless", adding: "He's batted very
sensibly, patiently at the start. He was hitting a lot of good shots straight
to fielders but didn't get frustrated with it.
"The way he's been
batting lately it feels like he's not going to get out sometimes, and he's
making big hundreds which is important for the team."
Voges, who will
play for Middlesex again this summer, became the oldest
player to score a Test century on debut, at the age of 35 against the West
Indies eight months ago, and has now compiled five.
If he is dismissed in this
Test innings, he will need to have scored 272, eclipsing his current highest
score of 269 not out, to keep his average above 100.
Bradman v Voges - as things stand
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Sir Don Bradman
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Adam Voges
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Statistics correct at close of play on day two
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Tests (innings)
|
52 (80)
|
14 (19)
|
Runs
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6,996
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1,204
|
Highest score
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334
|
269*
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Average
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99.94
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100.33
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Centuries
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29
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5
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