Hayden flays tiring Zim attack

Matthew Hayden smashed 107 runs in the final session as Australia piled up 372 for three on the opening day of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Perth on Thursday.

The left-handed opener, who hit 23 boundaries and three sixes from 268 balls, batted through the entire six hours and 18 minutes of play to reach 183 not out at the close, his sixth century in his past 12 Tests.

Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak had won the toss and elected to field at the WACA Ground.

Australia captain Steve Waugh, who has scored four Test centuries this year, was unbeaten on 61 but the 38-year-old was happy to play a supporting role in an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 173 with Hayden, including 169 in the last session.

Waugh still managed to hit seven boundaries and one six but was overshadowed by his partner.

Zimbabwe had enjoyed moderate success until tea when Australia were 203 for three, dismissing Justin Langer for 26, Ricky Ponting for 37 and Damien Martyn for 53 before Hayden took advantage of a tiring attack.

Hayden and fellow left-hander Langer gave Australia a bright start with an opening stand of 43 before Langer played a ball from Sean Ervine on to his stumps for 26.

Ricky Ponting was lbw to Ervine for 37 in the third over after lunch. The pair had added 59 for the second wicket and Ponting's 91-minute stay included six boundaries.

Hayden began to play more attacking shots following Ponting's dismissal, which brought Martyn to the crease in his first Test match for nine months after breaking a finger during the World Cup.

LOOSE CUT

Off spinner Trevor Gripper enticed Martyn to play a loose cut shot to slip where he was caught by Craig Wishart seven minutes before tea for a sparkling 53, including nine boundaries.

Hayden moved quickly from his tea score of 76 into the nineties but on 95 was troubled by nerves, missing several sweep shots and almost getting caught at cover from an attempted drive on 98.

The 31-year-old, who could easily have been given out lbw for a duck in the day's second over, finally reached his century in his sixth hour at the crease with a sweep off Gripper before gently raising his bat to the crowd.

Hayden celebrated in the final overs with three blazing sixes and an array of boundaries.

The tall, powerfully-built Hayden announced himself as one of the game's top batsmen with 1,391 Test runs in 2001, a national record. The Queenslander hit three centuries in the 2002-03 home series against England and two more against West Indies this year.

Zimbabwe's attack of Streak (0-82), Andy Blignaut (0-74), Sean Ervine and spinners Gripper (0-94) and Ray Price (1-58) got little joy from the flat Perth wicket.

They struggled in the final hour when the second new ball predictably failed to stem the flow of runs.

Both teams wore black armbands and observed 88 seconds of silence before the start of play to honour the 88 Australians among 202 people killed in the Bali bombings of October 12, 2002.

Scoreboard at lunch:

Australia first innings:
J.Langer b Ervine 26
M.Hayden not out 183
R.Ponting lbw b Ervine 37
D.Martyn c Wishart b Gripper 53
S.Waugh not out 61

Extras: (b-4 lb-4 w-1 nb-3) 12

Total: (for three wickets, 90 overs) 372

To bat: D.Lehmann, A.Gilchrist, A.Bichel, B.Lee, J.Gillespie, S.MacGill.

Fall of wickets: 1-43 2-102 3-199

Bowling: Streak 18-6-82-0, Blignaut 20-3-74-0, Ervine 17-2-56-2, Price 22-5-94-0, Gripper 13-0-58-1.

Zimbabwe team: Heath Streak (captain), Dion Ebrahim, Trevor Gripper, Mark Vermeulen, Stuart Carlisle, Craig Wishart, Tatenda Taibu, Craig Evans, Andy Blignaut, Sean Ervine, Ray Price.