Aussies close to sealing series

Cricket: Third Test: Windies collapse in final session

Setting themselves a target of 359 runs after dismissing Australia for 150 in the seond innings on the fourth day, the Carribeans suffered a late collapse to be stranded at 308 for nine leaving the pair of Kemar Roach and Gavin Tonge the task of denying Australia a win on the morrow.

The match seemed headed for a quick finish when West Indies were 68 for three at lunch - the dangermen Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan dismissed - but Narsingh Deonarine (82, 202M, 171 balls, 4x10, 6x2) and Brendan Nash (65, 258M, 183 balls, 4x7) combined in a brave partnership to instil hope.

By the scheduled end Australia needed three wickets and took the extra half hour, succeeding only in dismissing Sulieman Benn and Ravi Rampaul. Roach and Tonge not only held on, but added 29 in 30 balls, extending the game into a fifth day.

At the beginning of the day the tourists' bowling surge continued as Australia were dismissed for 150, their lowest completed innings since 93 in a dead rubber against India in 2004. They lost their final two wickets in the first 27 balls of the morning, adding 13 valuable runs to their overnight advantage of 345.

Score board
AUSTRALIA (I Innings): 520/7 decl.
WEST INDIES (I Innings): 312 all out.
AUSTRALIA (II Innings, O/n: 137/8)
Watson lbw Tonge    30
Katich b Rampaul    10
Clarke c Ramdin b Bravo    25
Hussey c Dowlin b Benn    17
North c Ramdin b Bravo    1
Haddin c Bravo b Benn    23
Johnson c Nash b Bravo    5
Hauritz c Sarwan b Bravo    11
Ponting c Dowlin b Roach    2
McKay c Deonarine b Benn    10
Bollinger (not out)    2
Extras (B-9, lb-2, W-1, nb-2)    14     
Total (all out; 51.3 overs)    150

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-66, 3-81, 4-89, 5-109, 6-117, 7-125, 8-134, 9-146.         
Bowling: Roach 6-0-18-1, Rampaul 6-1-21-1, Tonge 10-2-28-1, Deonarine 1-0-1-0, Bravo 17.3-6-42-4, Benn 11-2-29-3.

West Indies (II Innings)

Gayle c Haddin b Watson    21
Dowlin c Clarke b Bollinger    22
Sarwan c Haddin b Hauritz    11
Deonarine b Watson    82
Nash b Bollinger    65
Bravo c Hussey b Johnson    1
Ramdin b McKay    14
Benn c sub b Johnson    33
Rampaul c McKay b Johnson    10
Roach (batting)    8
Tonge (batting)    10
Extras (B-5, lb-9, W-1, nb-5)    20     
Total (for 9 wkts; 88.2 overs)    297

Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-52, 3-68, 4-196, 5-197, 6-231, 7-245, 8-279, 9-279.
Bowling: Bollinger 17.2-3-58-2, Johnson 16-5-67-3, McKay 14-2-56-1, Watson 11-4-21-2, Hauritz 23-7-61-1, North 7-1-20-0.