14 June, 2008

Mitchell Johnson did the damage with the ball as the West Indies collapsed from a strong position to be 216 all out on day two of the third and final Test against Australia.

The paceman took four wickets in the final session as the hosts fell 35 runs short of the Aussies' first-innings score of 251.

Only Shivnarine Chanderpaul offered any resistance with an unbeaten 79, but Johnson and Brett Lee ripped through the rest of the batting line-up to keep Australia's noses in front at the Kensington Oval.

The tourists then began their second innings late in the day and had reached 0-35 at stumps to stretch their advantage to 70 runs.

Phil Jaques and Simon Katich were unbeaten on 13 and 17 respectively as Australia look to claim a 2-0 series win.

Australia had also started the day at the crease hoping to significantly add to its overnight first-innings total of 7-226.

But its final three wickets fell for just 25 runs as it was bowled out in little over half an hour's play.

Lee had signalled his intention to score quick runs when he struck Dwayne Bravo for a six and a four in the same over, but he lost Beau Casson soon after when he was trapped leg before wicket by Fidel Edwards for a stubborn 10 from 44 balls.

Johnson quickly followed Casson back to the pavilion in the next over for a duck, squeezing a short delivery from Jerome Taylor only as far as Sulieman Benn at gully.

Edwards then claimed his third wicket to complete the innings, bowling Stuart Clark (one) and leaving Lee not out on 23.

The West Indian reply was immediately undermined by a fired up Lee who was the subject of a number of short deliveries, especially from Edwards, in the morning session.

Lee had already worked up a head of steam when he removed Sewnarine Chattergoon in just his second over, the Guyanese left-hander feathering a simple catch to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for six.

Lee's next wicket owed much to the acrobatics of Test debutant Casson as they combined to remove West Indies captain Chris Gayle for 14.

Gayle, who is returning from a groin injury that sidelined him for the opening two Tests, crunched a straight drive only to see Casson dive to his right and pluck the ball from the air at full stretch.

It was a moment to delight the tourists and leave their hosts perilously placed at 2-26.

Despite the early wickets Ramnaresh Sarwan and Xavier Marshall opted for an aggressive approach to the bowling.

They looked to be frustrating the Australian attack, adding 38 in quick time for the third wicket, until Sarwan (20) slashed a drive from Clark to gully where Michael Hussey took a diving catch.

Chanderpaul then strode to the crease and along with Marshall safely took the West Indies to the first break and beyond, until the latter fell midway through the afternoon session when he clipped an Andrew Symonds delivery to Casson at midwicket for 39.

Chanderpaul was just three runs short of his fifty and Bravo unbeaten on 29 with the hosts sitting on 4-167 at tea.

But things went downhill rapidly after the interval as the tourists took a stranglehold with the ball.

Bravo failed to add to his score when he glanced Johnson's delivery to wicket-keeper Haddin.

Chanderpaul notched up his half-century soon after but the wickets continued to tumble at the other end of the crease.

Denesh Ramdin managed just a single before Johnson struck again with Michael Clarke making a stunning catch at gully diving to his left.

And Taylor followed for a duck when he clipped a Clarke delivery to Katich.

Benn (three) was the next wicket to fall as Johnson claimed his third scalp with Haddin again taking the catch behind the stumps.

And Lee also made it three victims with the dismissal of Daren Powell, who edged the ball into the gloves of Haddin for nine.

Edwards added just one run to the West Indies total before edging Johnson to Ricky Ponting at second slip to leave Chanderpaul as the last man standing.

Johnson finished with 4-41 while Lee added 3-64.

West Indies v Australia, Third Test, stumps day two, Bridgetown

Australia 1st innings
Jacques c Ramdin b Taylor 31
Katich c Gayle b Edwards 36
Ponting lbw b Taylor 18
Hussey c Powell b Bravo 12
Clarke c Ramdin b Bravo 0
Symonds c Chattergoon b Bravo 52
Haddin lbw b Benn 32
Casson lbw b Edwards 10
Lee not out 23
Johnson c Benn b Taylor 0
Clark b Edwards 1
Extras 36 (7lb, 21w, 8nb)
Total 251 (all out; 68 overs)

FoW: 1-46 (Jaques, 10.2 ov), 2-75 (Ponting, 16.1 ov), 3-96 (Hussey, 22.3 ov), 4-96 (Clarke, 22.6 ov), 5-111 (Katich, 29.1 ov), 6-198 (Haddin, 48.4 ov), 7-213 (Symonds, 52.3 ov), 8-244 (Casson, 63.1 ov), 9-245 (Johnson, 64.6 ov), 10-251 (Clark, 67.1 ov)

Bowling
Powell 11-5-43-0
Edwards 17-4-55-3 (2nb, 3w)
Taylor 12-2-46-3 (2w)
Gayle 7-2-6-0
Bravo 15-5-61-3 (6nb)
Benn 6-0-33-1

West Indies 1st innings
Gayle c Casson b Lee 14
Chattergoon c Haddin b Lee 6
Sarwan c Hussey b Clark 20
Marshall c Casson b Symonds 39
Chanderpaul not out 79
Bravo c Haddin b Johnson 29
Ramdin c Clarke b Johnson 1
Taylor c Katich b Clarke 0
Benn c Haddin b Johnson 3
Powell c Haddin b Lee 9
Edwards c Ponting b Johnson 1
Extras 15 (7lb, 8nb)
Total 216 (all out; 58.5 overs)

FoW: 1-11 (Chattergoon, 2.5 ov), 2-26 (Gayle, 4.2 ov), 3-64 (Sarwan, 11.1 ov), 4-108 (Marshall, 25.1 ov), 5-168 (Bravo, 44.3 ov), 6-188 (Ramdin, 48.1 ov), 7-189 (Taylor, 49.6 ov), 8-195 (Benn, 52.5 ov), 9-204 (Powell, 53.5 ov), 10-216 (Edwards, 58.5 ov)

Bowling
Lee 15-2-64-3 (5nb)
Clark 15-4-41-1 (1nb)
Johnson 11.5-3-41-4 (2nb)
Symonds 8-4-17-1
Casson 7-1-43-0
Clarke 2-0-3-1

Australia 2nd innings
Jacques not out 13
Katich not out 17
Extras 5 (2b, 1lb, 2nb)
Total 35 (0 wickets; 14 overs)

FoW:

Bowling
Powell 4-3-6-0
Edwards 4-1-13-0 (1nb)
Taylor 3-2-7-0 (1nb)
Gayle 2-1-1-0
Benn 1-0-5-0