16 June, 2008

Three grassed chances from Australia have given the West Indies hope of an implausible series-levelling victory in the third and final Test in Barbados.

Set a record 475 for victory after Australia declared its second innings on 5-439, the Windies will resume on the final day on 3-235, still requiring a further 240.

The in-form Shivnarine Chanderpaul will again be the major obstacle the Australians have to overcome. He was unbeaten at stumps on 27, with Dwayne Bravo the other not out batsman on 30.

Centurion Simon Katich was again culpable in the field as Australia left the door ajar for the home side.

Xavier Marshall was the chief beneficiary, battling to 85 before falling to debutant Beau Casson, while Ramnaresh Sarwan (43) also contributed. Unfortunately for the Windies, Sewarine Chattergood is unlikely to bat in the second innings due to an ankle injury.

The pattern was set early on in the Windies innings when Katich grassed a simple catch at third slip to deny Brett Lee the wicket of Marshall, opening in place of Chattergoon.

Katich can be grateful to have found form with the bat as this was his third straightforward missed chance of the match.

Later, Casson dropped Chris Gayle, with Lee again the unlucky bowler, while Marshall was given another life when wicketkeeper Brad Haddin failed to cling on when he edged a Stuart Clark delivery.

In between the chances, Gayle was unusually subdued, though there were a handful of authoritative shots from both batsmen.

Lee spurned a run-out opportunity, but the breakthrough finally came when Gayle (26) misjudged a pull shot off Clark, looping the ball for a leaping Lee to hold on.

Katich appeared to have made another howler with the Windies on 1-78 but, luckily for him, replays showed his latest drop reached his slippery hands via Marshall's helmet, not his bat.

The Windies received more good fortune after tea when an edge from Marshall went between Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke in the slips, with neither captain nor vice-captain going for it.

But Marshall also produced some fine strokes, one muscular pull off Clarke going all the way for six.

With spin at both ends from Clarke and Casson the runs started to dry up and the pressure told when Sarwan was trapped lbw by the former.

Marshall again had his heart in his mouth when a mistimed drive went fractionally above the reach of the hapless Katich, but he followed that with a pair of sweet boundaries off Casson and Clarke.

Marshall's luck finally ran out when he was on 84 when he was caught at short leg by Phil Jaques off the bowling of Casson.

Then in consecutive overs from Lee, Bravo survived a strong shout for caught behind and an appeal for lbw. He recovered to add insult to injury by flashing successive boundaries off the paceman's next over, which went for 12.

Earlier, Australia lost the wickets of Katich for 157 and Andrew Symonds for two after resuming on 3-330.

An unbroken 79-run stand between Clarke (48) and Haddin (45) before Ponting called his men in.