May 25, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 19, 1429

KINGSTON, May 24: West Indies trailed Australia by 316 runs with seven first-innings wickets remaining after seamer Stuart Clark claimed the hosts’ top three batsmen on the second day of the first Test on Friday.

Clark’s excellent spell of three for 18, including the prize wicket of captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, left the hosts struggling on 115 for three chasing Australia’s total of 431.

Runako Morton (23) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (25) saw West Indies through to stumps after they had struggled to 68 for three following a positive day with the ball.

Clark bowled Devon Smith, after the West Indies opener made a bright 32, and provided debutant wicket-keeper Brad Haddin with his first Test victim when he snapped up Sarwan who had flashed outside off-stump.

Clark caused further damage with a beautiful delivery moving away from Brenton Parchment, who scored just nine off 60 balls.

Morton and Chanderpaul got their heads down, though, and battled through to stumps but Clark said the Australians were happy.

“It was good to get a few wickets, we are in a pretty decent spot in the game, if we can get a couple of early ones tomorrow, especially Chanderpaul, we can put them under a lot of pressure.

Ricky Ponting’s superb 158 had guided Australia to an overnight total of 301 for four but they ran into aggressive bowling from Fidel Edwards who ended with a five-wicket haul.

It looked like a good comeback by West Indies with Australia having added just 98 runs for the loss of five wickets but all-rounder Andrew Symonds found his form to raise the target.

Symonds hit eight fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 70 and scored 28 of the 32 runs in a 10th-wicket partnership with Stuart MacGill.

Twenty-six-year-old Edwards, finding the kind of consistency he has usually lacked in his career, made the vital early breakthrough when he had Brad Hodge caught behind for 67.

Nightwatchman Mitchell Johnson (22) then spooned a soft catch to Daren Powell at mid-on off the bowling of Darren Sammy.

Sammy struck again just before lunch when he claimed Haddin for 11, caught by keeper Denesh Ramdin as he edged an attempted pull shot.

Edwards picked up the wickets of Brett Lee and MacGill to complete his five-wicket performance — which also included both Australian openers.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings, overnight 301-4):

P.A. Jaques lbw b Edwards 9

S.M. Katich c Sammy b Edwards 12

R.T. Ponting c Parchment b Bravo 158

M.E.K. Hussey c Bravo b Jaggernauth 56

B.J. Hodge c Ramdin b Edwards 67

M.G. Johnson c Powell b Sammy 22

A. Symonds not out 70

B.J. Haddin c Ramdin b Sammy 11

B. Lee lbw b Edwards 4

S.R. Clark c Bravo b Powell 3

S.C.G. MacGill b Edwards 2

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-13, NB-2) 17

TOTAL (all out, 126.5 overs) 431

FALL OF WKTS: 1-18, 2-37, 3-174, 4-293, 5-326, 6-350, 7-368, 8-383, 9-399.

BOWLING: Powell 29-4-99-1; Edwards 26.5-4-104-5; Sammy 29-7-78-2 (1nb); Bravo 22-6-61-1 (1nb); Jaggernauth 20-0-74-1

WEST INDIES (1st Innings):

D.S. Smith b Clark 32

B.A. Parchment c Haddin b Clark 9

R.R. Sarwan c Haddin b Clark 7

R.S. Morton not out 23

S. Chanderpaul not out 25

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-1, NB-11) 19

Total (for three wkts, 37 overs) 115

FALL OF WKTS: 1-47, 2-62, 3-68.

TO BAT: D.J. Bravo, D. Ramdin, D.J.G. Sammy, A.S. Jaggernauth, D.B.L. Powell, F.H. Edwards.

BOWLING (to-date): Lee 11-4-25-0 (7nb); Johnson 10-1-40-0 (4nb); Clark 8-3-18-3; MacGill 6-0-24-0; Symonds 2-2-0-0.—Reuters