Vettori, Brownlie lead Kiwi fight back in Aussie Test

Daniel Vettori and Dean Brownlie restored the New Zealand first innings after a clatter of wickets on the opening day of the first Test against Australia at the Gabba on Thursday. With storm clouds building, the Black Caps went to an early tea through bad light at 176 for five after winning the toss. Former skipper Vettori was on 45 off 66 balls and Brownlie, dropped twice on three, unbeaten on 32 off 89 deliveries. The Kiwis were faltering at 96 for fiveshortly after lunch when Jesse Ryder on six cut Mitchell Starc straight to David Warner at point for the pace debutant's second wicket. Starc dismissed opening batsman Brendon McCullum for 34 in the morning session, also caught by Warner, playing in his first Test match. Left-armer Starc had the figures of 2-52 off 13 overs at tea. All four of Australia's bowlers each took a wicket in the morning session. Australia made their first breakthrough with the wicket of Martin Guptill for 13 in the 11th over. Siddle, leading the inexperienced Australian pace attack in his 26th Test match, got an edge which wicketkeeper Brad Haddin snapped up, leaving the Black Caps at 44 for one inside the first hour. McCullum was out to a careless dismissal, bottom-edging a square cut to Warner to give Starc his first Test wicket in his sixth over. Captain Ross Taylor had a lucky escape on four runs when he was dropped by Usman Khawaja off Pattinson before Kane Williamson was out for 19. Williamson played acros his pads to finger spinner Nathan Lyon and flicked a head-high catch to Khawaja close in to the bat leaving the Kiwis at 78 for three. Pattinson got the prized wicket of Taylor, who dragged a wide delivery on to his stumps for 14 nearing lunch. But Vettori and Brownlie restored some respectability by combining 77 runs before tea. Australia left paceman Ben Cutting out of the starting eleven, which contained three debutants -- Pattinson, Starc and Warner. The Black Caps omitted fast bowler Trent Boult and brought in Vettori, who sat out the warm-up four-day game against Australia A in Brisbane.