Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

Australia's Simon Katich prods forward to nullify the spin of Nikita Miller on yesterday's second day of the Jamaica XI versus Australia game at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium. Katich made 96. Looking on is Jamaica 'keeper Carlton Baugh. - Photo by Adrian Frater

FALMOUTH: THE AUSTRALIAN cricketers experienced mixed fortunes at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium in Falmouth yesterday with some of their batsmen failing to make use of a wonderful opportunity to get some good practice and some grabbing the opportunity with both hands, as the tourists dominated the second day of the three-day warm-up match against a Jamaica Select XI.

Replying to the Jamaica Select XI's first innings of 297, the Australians hopped to 396 with Test hopeful Simon Katich scoring 97, Test certainty Andrew Symonds making 86 and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin 64.

Without loss

When bad light stopped play with three overs to go, the Jamaicans were 11 without loss off five overs in their second innings.

Resuming at 89 without loss with Phil Jaques on 44 and Katich on 35, the Australians lost the former after 12 minutes when the left-hander was leg before wicket to pacer Neive McNally for 48 at 95 for one.

With left-arm spinner Nikita Miller bowling from one end from which he sent down 35 consecutive overs, with pacer Andre Russell, leg-spinner Gavin Wallace, McNally and left-arm spinner Lorenzo Ingram sharing the action at the other end, Jaques was followed by Ricky Ponting for 17 at 136 for two, and by Michael Hussey for 19 at 175 for three.

Also by Brad Hodge for 16 at 212 for four and by Katich at 228 for five, before Haddin joined Symonds and together they put the Jamaican bowlers in their places during a sixth-wicket partnership of 146.

Fans happy

Ponting went to Miller, who took a brilliant return catch to send the Australian captain packing and, on a day when the Jamaicans made the small number of fans happy with their performance in the field, the left-handed Hussey departed when he hit Wallace and Ingram raced in from mid-wicket to take a magnificent catch.

Hodge was bowled hitting across the line off a good delivery from Miller and the left-handed Katich, on the doorstep of what appeared a certain century, walked away after going down the pitch, hitting to mid-wicket and being brilliantly caught by Xavier Marshall, who dived forward after running in about 20 metres.

KepT in check

At that stage, with the Jamaicans fielding well, with Wallace, who bowled 14 consecutive overs and only conceded 30 runs while claiming a wicket, with Miller spinning the ball on a generous pitch, the Jamaicans looked set to keep the Aussies in check, if not to embarrass them.

The coming of Symonds and then Haddin, however, changed that. Soon Miller who, in the face of Symonds' assault, had retreated to bowling over the wicket to a defensive field, was gone and all the other bowlers were treated with disrespect.

After surviving a chance when wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr dropped him at 11, at 231 for five, when a ball from Miller, bowling around the wicket, hit the outside edge of his searching bat, Symonds opened up.

He hit Miller for six over long off and into the stands, hit Miller high to long on for four, and then proceeded to really enjoy himself before, after facing 104 deliveries while batting for 150 minutes, after blasting one six and striking eight fours, he swung at Russell, missed, and was bowled at 381 for seven in the 105th over.

In the preceding over Haddin, who faced 92 deliveries in 124 minutes and stroked nine fours, made his first and last mistake when he swept at the leg spin of Donovan Sinclair and edged a catch to Miller at slip.

Wrapped up tail

Although Miller was the pick of the bowlers, Sinclair wrapped up the tail to finish with three wickets for 14 runs off 6.3 overs.