15 June, 2008

Simon Katich remained an immovable presence on day three of the third and final Test against the West Indies as he posted consecutive Test centuries to give Australia a firm grip on the game.

The left-handed opener provided further vindication of his recall to the Australian Test team as he backed up his century in Antigua by batting through the day to finish unbeaten on 148.

Katich's opening partner Phil Jaques also reached triple figures and the pair put on 223 for the opening wicket as Australia reached stumps at 3-330 - a commanding lead of 365 runs.

The home side was made to toil in the face of Katich's stubborn resistance, taking just three wickets for the day as it saw its hopes of levelling the series evaporate in the Barbados sun.

Katich and Michael Clarke (zero) will resume Australia's innings on the fourth day as the tourists go in search of a 2-0 series victory.

Australia began the day with a 70-run advantage and the quick-scoring pattern of the game looked set to continue when Katich struck two fours from Daren Powell's opening over of the day.

However, the Australian openers set about their task with caution for the majority of the two-and-a-half hour morning session, both passing 50, as they added 128 runs in 39 overs.

Soon after the lunch break the West Indies were dealt a blow when opening batsman Sewnarine Chattergoon was forced to leave the field on a stretcher after he twisted his ankle while attempting a diving save to stop a boundary.

The Guyanese left-hander was in obvious pain as he was attended to by the West Indies physiotherapist and, following a 10-minute delay, he was taken from the field casting major doubt over whether he will be able to take his place in the West Indies run chase.

Jaques and Katich continued to repel the home bowling in the middle session with the former the first to his hundred, his third in Test cricket, with a cover drive to the boundary off Sulieman Benn.

Jaques fell soon after when he chased a wide delivery from Jerome Taylor, when on 108, feathering a catch to Denesh Ramdin behind the stumps.

Katich, who was recalled for his first tour with the Australian Test team since the 2005 Ashes series in England, then reached his second century in as many games in the next over.

The 32-year-old had taken 216 balls in a patient innings to reach the milestone, although the runs started to flow more freely once he was joined by captain Ricky Ponting.

The pair had added 66 runs when Ponting (39) mis-timed a pull shot to substitute fielder Runako Morton at mid-wicket from the bowling of Powell.

The home side got further reward for its toil when Benn had Michael Hussey caught at leg slip for 18, but by then the game had already slipped beyond their grasp thanks to Katich.