New Zealand A 109 for 3 trail Australia A 370 for 6 dec (Renshaw 112, Ward 75, McSweeney 50, Kuggeleijn 3-94) by 261 runs
It did not take long for Agar, who played two ODIs in 2021, to strike with the new ball when he found the outside edge of both openers, Sean Solia and Henry Cooper, during his opening spell.
Johnson, the left-arm quick who has had a rapid rise this season after breakout performances for Brisbane Heat and South Australia, was more wayward – he sent down a bouncer that went for five wides in his first over and twice left wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson unable to prevent four byes – but when he returned for a second spell he had Dean Foxcroft caught on the leg side.
Mitchell Swepson’s seven-over spell was his first bowl in first-class cricket since early December since when he played the BBL and was then an unused member of the Test squad in India.
Australia A had resumed on 155 for 1 and Renshaw converted his 92 into a second consecutive hundred for the A side after the one he made against West Indies in Canberra, playing under the Prime Minister’s XI name.
He eventually fell for 112, trapped lbw from round the wicket by Scott Kuggeleijn, and when Ward might have had visions of joining him with a hundred he lost his off stump shouldering arms to Solia.
All of the middle order chipped in as Australia A scored at a decent rate during the afternoon – the 60-run stand between Peirson and Campbell Kellaway coming in under 12 overs.