Nick Kelly and Mitchell Hay added 107 for New Zealand A before the last five wickets fell for 35

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2023The advantage swung multiple times on the opening day of the pink-ball encounter between Australia A and New Zealand A in Mackay, but it was the home side who edged the honours as Liam Hatcher and Mitchell Perry shared eight wickets.New Zealand A slipped to 135 for 5 midway through the second session, having been solidly placed on 82 for 1 at the dinner break, when a sixth-wicket stand of 107 between Nick Kelly and Mitchell Hay took charge.However, Hatcher then burst through with three quick wickets and in all New Zealand A lost their last five for 35 with Victoria allrounder Perry, the only one of the Australia A quicks to play both four-day games, returning to claim the final two scalps.The short delivery proved effective for Hatcher with the old ball. The breakthrough came at the end of an action-packed over where Kelly had pulled him over the leg side for six then been caught at deep square leg off a no-ball – one of 10 Hatcher bowled in the day – before Hay gloved a pull to the keeper.Hatcher then did have Kelly caught hooking and took out Adithya Ashok’s off stump with a full delivery.He had earlier removed Dean Foxcroft during another productive period for Australia A after the first interval. Two balls before Sean Solia, who made 91 in the first match in Brisbane, was trapped lbw from round the wicket by Nathan McAndrew as the pink ball nipped around.Muhammad Abbas was caught behind off Perry and New Zealand A captain Tom Bruce pulled Ben Dwarshuis to deep square shortly after taking a painful blow on the forearm.New Zealand A won the first match of the series at Allan Border Field by 225 runs after fighting back impressively from a poor first day.