Phil Hughes and David Warner rode a nervy period to see Australia to 72 without loss in in pursuit of testing victory target at stumps on day three of the second and final Test at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Sunday.

The left-handers' stand left the home side 169 runs shy of wrapping up victory within four days for the second time this series after New Zealand had earlier fluffed a golden opportunity to hammer home their advantage over the opposition.

Resuming on 139 for three, the Kiwis lost Kane Williamson (34) in the first over of the day. The right-hander's departure to Peter Siddle (three for 66) kicked off a precedent that would last through to 203 for nine. Having lost six wickets for just 64 runs in a middle- through lower-order collapse that epitomised the tourists' poor batting throughout their visit to Australia, tail-enders Trent Boult (21) and Tim Southee (13) at least pushed the score past 200.

226 is where it ended as Nathan Lyon (three for 25) once again cashed in on the initial hard graft of James Pattinson (three for 54) and fellow seamers to wrap up the innings. The spinner stifled any hope Doug Bracewell sported of swinging for the fences and Southee and Boult's promising vigils.

Each of New Zealand's top six batsmen had made it to a dozen, but not one of them was able to graduate to anything larger than skipper Ross Taylor's 56. Time and time again the Kiwis perish when it counts the most and they'll have to do a darn sight better if they wish to trouble a South African team boasting an even stronger bowling attack than the Aussies early next year.

Rain had marred proceedings earlier in the day and, indeed the match, returning post-tea break to end play for the day. But not before Warner's 47 not out and Hughes' unbeaten 20 had bitten a healthy chunk from a potentially tough chase.

Hughes should have been out on zero, but an appeal for caught behind was denied by the umpire. The visitors didn't opt for a review, which would have sent the left-hander, who did get bat to ball, packing. Warner, meanwhile, enjoyed some fortune as a couple of flashy shots via the aerial route didn't go to hand.

The Black Caps will consider themselves still in the contest. Hughes, Warner and a middle order eager to cash in on a pitch progressively flattening out will beg to differ. Day four promises some entertaining Test cricket, provided Mum Nature and her sodden mood steer clear.