West Indies Bowlers keep the grip tight – first Test vs. Australia

Australia 248-5 (Michael Clarke 73, Michael Hussey 47*, Darren Sammy 2-33) trail West Indies 449-9 declared (Shivnarine Chanderpaul 103*, Kirk Edwards 61, David Warner 2-45) by 201 runs.

West Indies continued their dominance in the first Test versus Australia on the third day as their bowlers put them on top led by Darren Sammy.

The third day of the first Test took place on April 9, 2012 at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.

Earlier, Australia played just 9.5 overs of their first innings on the second day and scored 44 runs at a rapid pace without losing any wicket. Their openers Ed Cowan and David Warner were at the crease with 13 and 27 runs and were negotiating the Windies bowling at their best. The last ball of the 10^th over was bowled by Kemar Roach, no run was taken off that and the next over from Darren Sammy ended as a maiden.

Australia lost the early wicket on the third ball of the 13^th over from Sammy when Cowan was caught behind by the wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh for 14 with the addition of six runs in the overnight total. Shane Watson came in next, opened his account with a single and survived a couple of leg before wicket appeals whereas Warner was finding it difficult to score runs freely at the other end. They added 15 runs in the total when Warner was caught in the second slip by Darren Bravo off Sammy for 42 runs.

The second wicket fell at 65 runs and the visitors were shocked again when their most experienced batsman Ricky Ponting unluckily ran himself out for just four runs when 17 runs were added to the total. That brought their in-form captain Michael Clarke to the crease who joined in with the smooth going Watson at the other end. They steadied the innings without taking any risks as Warner hit a six on the second ball of the 30^th over to Devendra Bishoo and the first hundred of the Australian innings was posted.

The innings was stabilised by the duo and the boundaries kept on flowing from their willows as Clarke danced down the pitch on the fifth ball of the 34^th over from Bishoo and dispatched a straight six. The Caribbean bowlers checked the score rate and the Kangaroos managed just 12 runs from 35^th to 42^nd over. Shane Watson became the next victim when he was caught behind by Baugh off Kemar Roach for 39 off 80 balls with one six and 5 fours.

The fourth wicket was lost at 133 runs as Michael Hussey appeared in the centre and opened his account with a four on the second ball he faced. The runs were hard to come and the visitors scored 23 runs from 44^th to 57^th overs but most importantly the wickets were secured at both ends. They kept on creeping and Clarke achieved his fifty on the third ball of the 62^nd over by sending the ball out of the fence as Hussey kept on clicking the runs at the other end. The play was disturbed because of the rain after the fourth delivery of the 74^th over and the next ball was bowled after nearly 40 minutes.

Clarke and Hussey accumulated 82 valuable runs for the fifth wicket when the former was caught at deep mid off by Narsingh Deonarine off Bishoo. Clarke played a patient innings of 73 from 173 balls with the assistance of one six and 4 fours as the wicketkeeper batsman Matthew Wade joined with Michael Hussey. They enhanced the score to 248 in 95 overs without further loss when the third day’s play was called off. Hussey was batting for 47 off 156 deliveries and Wade was consolidating at the other end with 19 runs.

Darren Sammy was the highest wicket taker with two whereas Kemar Roach and Devendra Bishoo claimed one wicket each.

The West Indian bowlers have bowled an excellent line and length and will try to rip through the remaining Aussies batsmen at their earliest to dictate their terms in the match. Australia will depend on Michael Hussey who can take them away from the danger of losing the first Test.