Cricket:Spinner Shane Shillingford shone on his home ground to leave the West Indies holding the upper hand following the opening day of the third and final Test against Australia at Windsor Park in Dominica.
Shillingford claimed four for 77 off his 34 overs, including the prize scalps of middle-order heavyweights Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey, as Australia closed on 212 for seven.
The tourists had looked in a promising position at 142 for three but the dismissal of Ponting — immediately after passing India’s Rahul Dravid to become the second highest runscorer in Test history — sparked a collapse that saw four Australian wickets fall for just 27 runs.
However, from 169 for seven, Matthew Wade (22 not out) and Mitchell Starc (24no) joined forces in an unbroken 43-run stand to guide Australia past 200.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Australia suffered a dismal start when opener Ed Cowan was trapped lbw by Ravi Rampaul for one but they regrouped with a second-wicket stand worth 83 between David Warner and Shane Watson.
However, both of those players fell in the afternoon session, with Watson the first to go for 41, caught by Narsingh Deonarine after top-edging a short ball from West Indies captain Darren Sammy.
Warner, who had enjoyed a huge let off against Rampaul when on five when Sammy dropped an easy catch off the left hander in the slips, then fell for exactly 50 when he slashed Shillingford to Kieran Powell at cover point.
The dismissal of Warner saw Australia slip to 105 for three, but experienced duo Ponting and Clarke ensured there were no more setbacks before the tea interval as Australia went into the break on 136 for six.
At that stage former captain Ponting was on 18 not out and needed just five more runs to surpass Dravid’s tally of 13,288 Test runs. The Australian managed that soon after the resumption but he did not add many more before becoming Shillingford’s second victim when he was caught at leg slip by Sammy for 23.
Current captain Clarke was soon on his way back to the pavilion as well when, having scored 24, he was caught off bat and pad by Adrian Barath at short leg off Shillingford. Local boy Shillingford then sent back Hussey for just 10, caught at slip by Sammy as Australia slipped to 164 for six.
It was seven down five runs later when Ryan Harris edged a Kemar Roach delivery behind to wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh. At that point it looked as though Australia would fail to even reach 200, but Wade and Starc launched a promising fight-back in the closing overs. Australia hold a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, with the second Test finishing in a draw.