Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport

Australia's bowler Stuart Clark (right) successfully appeals LBW on West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul (left), to dismiss him for 50 runs, in the second inning on the final day of the third and final Digicel cricket Test at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, yesterday. - AP

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados:

IN THE space of a mere four balls yesterday, the West Indies' slim hopes of winning the third and final Digicel Test and levelling the series with Australia were snuffed out at Kensington Oval.

Chasing 240 on the final day with seven wickets in hand and Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo at the crease, there was more than a hint of optimism around the famous ground that the hosts could do the improbable and chase down the 475 runs they were set to win by Australia the day before.

Sadly, for the West Indies, that was not to be case as they were dismissed for a fighting second innings 387, which gave world champions Australia an 87-run win and the series 2-0.

Initial breakthrough

"I thought right from the start today that we just needed to get that one, initial breakthrough," victorious skipper Ricky Ponting said soon after receiving the coveted Sir Frank Worrell Trophy.

"The team's whole plan this morning was to make sure they didn't get off to a flying start and get momentum going their way. Once Beau (Casson) got that breakthrough, we managed things pretty well," Ponting said after the match.

Resuming yesterday at 235 for three, Chanderpaul and Bravo slowly but deliberately set about whittling down the target.

Chanderpaul nicked the first ball of day from Stuart Clark between the wide-spaced Australian first and second slips for four but that was the only moment of peril for the veteran Guyanese, on 27 overnight, and the Barbadian all-rounder, resuming on 30, in the first hour and three quarters of play which produced some good, solid Test cricket.

The game was progressing at a languid pace, which suited the Windies, until Aussie speedster Brett Lee, bowling around the wicket from the southern or Joel Garner End, fired up proceedings midway though the session with a withering spell of short, fast bowling at Bravo.

Counter-attacked

In one over, he struck the batsman in the midriff and upper chest and an over later whacked him on the back of the helmet.

However, Bravo counter-attacked superbly at the other end by lofting rookie Chinaman spinner Casson for three huge sixes over deep mid-off in the space of two overs.

With the new ball due and Casson under attack, Ponting stuck by his young spinner and 'Punter's' hunch paid huge dividends.

With the final ball of his next over, Casson lured Bravo forward and he prodded the ball to Phil Jaques, who took an extremely sharp catch at silly mid-off.

Bravo's valiant knock of 69, which included five fours and four sixes, was over and, with the scoreboard reading 303 for four, so seemed the West Indies' hopes after the promising 122-run partnership.

Energised by the breakthrough, the Australians took the new ball and three deliveries later, with no addition to the score, the stoic Chanderpaul was on his way back to the pavilion for an even 50; adjudged leg before to Clark by umpire Mark Benson to a delivery which looked a bit on the high side.

8,000-run milestone

On his way to his third half century of the series, Chanderpaul, who more significantly also struck two centuries against the tourists, became only the fourth West Indian Test batsman to pass the 8,000-run milestone, behind greats Brian Lara, Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Garfield Sobers.

The Guyanese also finished the series with a whopping Man-of-the-Series average of 147.33, but that would have been of scant consolation as the Windies began the inevitable tumble towards defeat.

The lower order did not roll over and die. Jerome Taylor made a breezy 31 off 35 balls, including a superb straight drive for four off Mitchell Johnson and Sewnarine Chattergoon, hobbled by a severe left ankle sprain, bravely battled to 13 before possibly being more a victim of Benson than Lee, but the task was simply too great for them.

Casson made an impressive Test debut with second innings figures of three for 86; Clark (3-58) was his usual reliable self and Lee's fiery spell at Bravo may have been the key point of the innings, but more than the disciplined Austra-lian bowling, the West Indies were hurt by the inability of any of the batsmen, who all got starts, to go on and make a big century.